African Wildlife Defence Force

The African Wildlife DeFence Force (AWDF; Afrika Wildsweermag (Afrikaans), Force pour la défense de la faune sauvage Africaine (French), Força de defesa da vida selvagem Africana (Portuguese), Kikosi cha ulinzi ya wanyama pori barani Afrika (Swahili), 非洲野生動物防衛軍 (Chinese, traditional), 非洲野生动物防卫军 (Chinese, simplified)) is a private elite park ranger and anti-poaching organization based in Dungu, in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. AWDF uses direct action tactics to protect wild life and rainforest. The organization was founded in 2012 by Jean DB, a horticulturist and forester. They serve as an alternative to the regular park rangers organizations which struggle with corruption, and in response to the increasing levels of violence with which poachers proceed.

History

The AWDF was found in 2012 after founder Jean DB travelled through Africa and visited orphanages, private game ranches, conservancies and national parks in countries such D.R. Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and South Sudan. He was disappointed because in his mind the outside world was not doing enough to help the parks in central Africa. After he had conducted ground surveys on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, and being contracted on a private ranch in South Africa, he decided to train a team of Congolese rangers.

Two years later, he saw the need for a more specialized task force. And so, as of April 2014, the AWDF began with the selection of candidate rangers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and South Africa for training of Advanced Force (AFR) and Special Force (SFR) rangers. Founder Jean DB approached a former French Legionnaire with the aim to give them a Special Force styled training with wildlife management courses. This project is still in its initial phase.

Organization

The AWDF is a non-profit African private ranger organization, 80% of the organization's revenue is spent on its programs, while 20% of revenue is spent on administration and fundraising. It is supported by private and corporate donations, internet advertising and grants. The group is operated by both paid rangers and volunteers. The organization is committed to staying small, by operating with a few Special Operations Task Forces only. The AWDF is governed by a board of directors, including Jean DB. The board has several advisers, each addressing an area of expertise. The board consist of an Environmental Scientist, an Anthropologist, a Law Enforcement Advisor and a Financial and Management Advisor. They provide services from Anti poaching, Wildlife management, Forestry management and Agroforestry consulting. But also Ranger training, Close quarter training and specialist rural security services.

The AWDF is open to all African citizens except for people from countries located north of the Sahel. They refuse African expats from outside Africa for ranger functions, this in order to draw radicalized candidates. In general non Africans, foreigners coming from outside Africa can only work as an instructor or scientist.

Affiliate Network

In Kenya, the AWDF registered under the name African Wildlife Protection Fund (AWPF) since the Kenyan NGO Coordination board rejected the name AWDF because of the pun defense force in its signals.

Working field

As a private ranger services contractor the AWDF focusses on wildlife conservation and rainforest conservation. The AWDF has the expertise to also intervene in mangroves, lakes and waterways but does not work at sea. Their major working field is central Africa in the parks located in the border region of Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Uganda and Central African Republic. This because of the different rebel groups that infest the parks in this region. The AWDF want to increase its presence in Africa by sending rangers to locations in Chad, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa. In the establishment of the AWDF was recorded that the parks in central, eastern and southern Africa are prioritized for intervention. The AWDF does not send rangers to north Africa. And in west Africa they only send rangers to Mali and Nigeria. The AWDF does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Departments

Rangers

The R or rangers are trained in Basic Military Training and Wildlife Management courses. An R conducts patrols also with a guard dog. Rangers can specialize in the sniffer dog unit.

Advanced Force Rangers

The AFR or Advanced Force Rangers are an elite ranger force in the AWDF, consisting of Parachute/Commando units. It is a support-reconnaissance unit. The training consists of 15 weeks of physical and psychological endurance. In addition to physical conditioning, the Advanced Forces learn hand-to-hand combat, survival techniques, military tactics, map reading and radio transmission. Followed by a 4 weeks wildlife management course and wildlife capturing course. Mutation to SFR is possible after five years experience as an AFR.

Special Force Rangers

The SFR or Special Force Rangers are a special forces unit in the AWDF. Members of the SFR are selected from the AFR units of the AWDF. After the main Advanced Forces course, a Special Forces operator will train three specialities. These are free fall from high altitude HAHO/HALO, underwater fighting skills and operating in mountainous terrain. Also, they all have to choose a team speciality: communications, explosives, armament, medical training or sniper. In real situations, the Special Force Rangers have to perform reconnaissance and surveillance missions in small groups deep into enemy territory, enact small offensive actions to arrest people, or to sabotage or impound materials. They are also trained to gain intelligence disguised as a civilian.

Weapons

• Remington Model 700
• AK-47 The AWDF is considering to replace its AK-47 by both M16 rifles and the FAL SA58 mini OSW rifle from DS Arms.
• Glock 17

Vehicles

Aviation

The AWDF is working on their own airwing. Currently they are working together with small flight operators from Bangui M'Poko International Airport, Goma International Airport and Wau Airport where they lease Cessna 206 aircrafts.

Wildlife Conservation

Convention on African Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CATES)

The working group was formed in protest against to what the AWDF calls the disastrous policies of CITES. The group works on wildlife law enforcement and promote non-conventional livestock farming like Insect farming, Crocodile farming and Game farming. They also examine the pros and cons of rhino horn farming.

Forestry Conservation

The AWDF focusses on the conservation of the rainforest from the basin of the Congo which has 70% of Africa's plant cover. The Congo Rainforest in Central Africa makes up a large portion of Africa's biodiversity with over 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species.

Wild Edible Plants (WEP) & Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP)

Despite the country’s high endowment with natural resources, 90% of the 60 million Congolese inhabitants is poor, whereas the majority of them lives in rural areas. 70% of DRC’s inhabitants depend on the forest for their daily livelihoods. Valorizing wild edible plants (WEP), and non-timber forest products (NTFP) in general, which constitute a particular niche of the poorest, will thus contribute to poverty alleviation and increased nutrition security in a DRC context. Although the potential of NTFPs to contribute to poverty alleviation is recognized in the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (DSCRP 2006, 2011), both documents deplore the huge gap of knowledge in this sector. Despite their enormous intrinsic biodiversity, the Congolese forests are the least documented in Africa, not only in terms of their potential for industrial timber exploitation, but also in terms of socio-economic and cultural value to the local populations (firewood, medicine, shelter, tools, game, caterpillars, mushrooms, honey, WEPs, dyes, cultural and spiritual values, etc.). In order to underpin political decisions and to find innovative ways for managing DRC’s precious natural resources, there is an urgent need to revitalize forestry and agricultural research in the country. The AWDF want to guarantee food security by promoting reforestation projects in central Africa and therefore created a list of 300 plants and tree species of the Congo that qualify for multiplication at a nursery project. Scientists have begun collecting seeds and planting materials. The start of the nursery is planned for 2015.

Tropical Hardwood

During the colonial time period, the Belgians had a heroic time with forest exploitation. Because of the caps rage of the Belgians, the need for forest protection has already been recognized by a decree of 1912 by the then government of Congo. The operating rules of 1923 banned to cut more than 2/3 of the wood material. A regimen was needed to stop the cap rage and so a second forest decree was created in 1934. During the time period of 1939 -1950 the Belgians had cut 629.000 tons of wood for export to Europe. The forest policy of the government of the Congo was the subject of the forest decree of April 11, 1949. The forests were classified with the aim to avoid their alienation and destruction. After independence, the cap rage began again mead by the dirty politics of both Mobutu and the Belgians. Because of the greed of China (Anno 2014) and mead by the fact that since 1960 there was rarely replanted. The AWDF decided to also start a nursery for "Tropical Hardwood". Scientists have begun collecting seeds and planting materials. The start of the nursery is planned for 2015.

Actions

Social Media

Crowdfunding

On 22 December 2013, the AWDF started a crowdfunding campaign through the fund raising platform gofundme. The money they are trying to raise is needed to pay more rangers,to buy new equipment and to rest orate an old colonial castle in the rainforest that will serve as a new HQ. The AWDF is looking for $68 million to expand their operations.

Hungerstrike

On 13 August 2014, director Jean DB flew to Burbank, California to do a hunger strike. The goal was to get media attention in Hollywood for his cause and try to appear in the Ellen show. After sending 2500 emails and over 350 letters to celebrities, without having received any reply, he decided to talk with workers of Animal Defenders International (ADI) in Los Angeles. He was also invited by Rhino zoo keeper and Anti-Poaching Ranger Mike Daniels to visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and to look behind the scenes. On invitation of Matt Rossell, (ADI) Campaigns Director, a dinner took place with actress and animal activist Georja Umano. Later he also met the actress and editor Moon Hi Hanson. Because he was barely noticed as backpacking among the hundreds of homeless in LA and because the media was not interested to listen to his story, he decided to return on September 27, 2014.

Missions

Wanted Persons

Quest for Joseph Kony

Since 2012 a team of rangers is deployed near the border of Bengangai Game Reserve, Bire Kpatous Game Reserve and Mbarizunga Game reserve of neighboring country South Sudan to quest the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) of Joseph Kony. The reward of up to $5m offered by the US State Department for information leading to the arrests or conviction of LRA leaders Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen was the motivation to start this mission. But until today the Ugandan warlord could not be found. The rangers are protecting nature reserves in the region and support efforts to protect civilians.

Quest for Feisal Ali Mohammed

On 15 October 2014, after Interpol issued a warrant to arrest Mombasa's businessman Feisal Ali Mohammed, suspected for trafficking of ivory in the East Africa region. The AWDF sent a unit to Badhaadhe in Somalia because sources said he had been spotted in Kiunga, Lamu. A team of 5 South African trackers where contracted and deployed to prevent him to cross the border. The AWDF assumes that he is trying to travel to Kismayo. And refuses the trackers to work on Kenyan territory because they suspect the Kenyan government and the Kenya Wildlife Service to be corrupt.

Projects

The Nutrecul Agroforestry Project

In 2012 the Belgian CICM Missionaries and the Flemish bakery consultant Guido Lasat entrusted Jean DB an old agroforestry project of the late father Jacques Bijttebier in the rainforest of the D.R.Congo. The project which promotes the use of the indigenous multipurpose tree species Treculia africana is of great value, because it helps in the fight against malnutrition and climate change mitigation in Africa. The idea is to create a network of agricultural cooperatives so farmers can get a fair price for their crop. Because Jean DB had received death threats from the Western Seed & Nutrition lobby. As of May 5, 2014, the project merged with the African Wildlife Defence Force (AWDF) to ensure the development of the innovative tropical forest conservation project Nutrecul.

• Nutrecul Agroforestry project in Kenya

During the months January and February 2014 field research has been conducted in Baringo county. The goal was to determine how a solution could be found to the problem of flooding around the two lakes Lake Baringo & Lake Bogoria and drought in the hills. The researchers introduced the Nutrecul Agroforestry Project to the local government officials.

• Nutrecul Agroforestry project in South Sudan

As of June 30, 2014, a working group is examining how they can implement the Nutrecul project combined with other Wild Edible Plants (WEP) in South Sudan.

External links

• Official Website on www.africanwildlifedefenceforce.com
• Official Linkedin page on www.linkedin.com/company/african-wildlife-defence-force-awdf
• Official Facebook page on www.facebook.com/AfricanWildlifeDefenceForceAwdf
• Official Twitter account on https://twitter.com/AWDFrangers