Ambassador to World Animal Day

4 October

Where Will You Be?

PAUL LUGHEMBE - CONGO, Dem. Rep. of
Ambassador to World Animal Day


PAUL LUGHEMBE IS THE PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR 'SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND ENHANCED FOR ALL' (S.E.A.), GISENYI
	Email:	safenv4all@yahoo.fr
	Website:	N/A
	Telephone:	+243 853183491 or +243 998858280
	Address:	Safe Environment and Enhanced for All (S.E.A.) PO Box 234 Gisenyi Democratic Republic of Congo Via Rwanda

AIMS / MISSION STATEMENT:
To educate the public to understand that: animals are sentient beings - possessing a level of conscious awareness enabling them to feel pain and suffering; humans have an ethical obligation to pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals ensuring their environment and conditions allow them to fulfill their natural behaviour and achieve a state of wellbeing; works to reduce tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke among youth through Education.

OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN: S.E.A.
Forests are being lost, fisheries overused and animal species are being exterminated here in the Congo. Such is the case in the Virunga National Park and in our local communities. In order to reach our goals we: Provide reports, submit petitions and lobby to support or denounce environmental mismanagement; Work with the authorities and local decision–makers to ensure they understand the environmental issues and plan sound, sustainable development and management; Carry out humane education campaigns to raise public awareness of animal welfare issues and to circulate information on animal care, including to the younger generaton. This is a key step towards developing empathy and love and rejecting violence towards all living things, including human beings. S.E.A has been working since 2005 to save lives. At S.E.A we believe that in order for Environmental activities to be successful in the long term it must take root in the hearts and minds of the younger generation. With their participation, time will lead to good decisions. Image right: Paul Lughembe feeding a rescued orphan pup
The image below is of an elephant that was shot many times by rebel military poachers but they failed to bring it down. The wounded animal escaped into the brush in the Virunga National Park but, worn out and in terrible pain from the numerous bullet wounds, it was unable to travel far before it died and the poachers were able to remove its ivory tusks. The photograph was taken by the S.E.A photographer, with the support of our representative in Vitshumbi upon finding the elephant corpse while out on patrol with gamerangers who allowed our group to visit the location for investigation.
The image to the right and below is of an elephant killed in the Ruthsuru Territory by soldiers acting under the instructions of the local administrative authorities of the fomer rebellion movement RCD. In one month alone, four elephants were poached by the same group of soldiers. The elephant pictured to the right is another of the four elephants killed in one month in the Ruthsuru Territory, as mentioned in the first paragraph. These animals deserve our protection. Poachers must be brought to justice for their crimes against animals - impunity must end! The wife of a poacher was found grilling bushmeat on a barbeque in the locality of Vitshumbi near the Idi Amin Lake. This is proof that the traffic of bushmeat continues with the support of militaries: Mai Mai militia; regular militaries (Loyals), and Interahamwe (Responsible for the Genocide in Rwanda), and FDLR (Former Rwandan Soldiers). Apparently, her husband asked her to cook it before it was sold on the Black Market. The image to the right shows the meat half cooked and it was identified as being hippopotamus. The image to the right shows children watching elephants in the wild. If we do not protect them now, future generations will only be able to tell stories about this wonderful spectacle. It is up to us to educate the youth of today in order to protect elephants for future generations. Image left: the head of an antelope head found by S.E.A. team members 17 kilometres from Vitshumbi Patrol Station. The image to the right is of S.E.A. staff working with Game Rangers at Vitshumbi Post Patrol. They are discussing the grilled meat shown in the photograph that was found in a woman's house along with the head of a lioness.

Animals deserve our compassion. If we are to succeed in ending human violence we must first end animal cruelty.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WORLD ANIMAL DAY ACTIVITIES OF S.E.A. IN 2007