CRITICAL UPDATE: Security Incident at Upemba National Park

Lusinga Headquarters | Haut-Katanga Province, DRC

Following the armed incursion targeting the Lusinga headquarters of Upemba National Park in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 03 March 2026, additional information has emerged regarding the situation on the ground. See report (STRATEGIC WARNING NOTICE: Security Incident – Lusinga, Upemba National Park Headquarters, Haut-Katanga, DRC)

Situation Update

According to field confirmations, approximately ten park staff members who were initially reported missing have now been confirmed alive after escaping the area. Several reportedly reached Likasi and Mitwaba, where they are currently safe.

The situation at the Lusinga site itself remains critical.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the entire headquarters complex was burned down. Infrastructure, operational equipment, and logistical supplies were reportedly looted and moved into surrounding forested areas, suggesting a planned and methodical operation rather than a spontaneous raid.

Official Confirmation

The Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) stated in its official communiqué that the attack resulted in the deaths of five park staff members, while facilities and equipment suffered major destruction and pillaging.

Following the incident, an ICCN crisis cell was activated in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and national security services. According to official reporting, control of the Lusinga station and the wider Upemba National Park area has now been restored by defence and security forces.

Significance of the Attack

The attack represents a serious breach of the protected status of the park, which forms part of the DRC’s national environmental heritage and holds recognized international conservation importance.

ASA Analytical Insight

Protected Areas as Operational Space

From a strategic perspective, protected areas such as Upemba National Park are increasingly attractive operating environments for armed groups. Their vast, remote, and sparsely populated terrain provides favourable conditions for concealment, movement, and temporary base establishment, especially in areas where the permanent security presence is limited.

Regional Pattern

Across parts of Central and East Africa, armed factions have repeatedly exploited national parks and protected wilderness areas as operational sanctuaries. These environments can help them evade military pressure while preserving access to strategic corridors linking rural territories, mining zones, and cross-border logistical routes.

Economic and Symbolic Drivers

Beyond the tactical dimension, attacks on protected areas may also serve economic and signalling purposes. Such areas may offer access to natural resources, wildlife trafficking routes, and remote forest networks that can support illicit activity, including poaching, charcoal production, and mineral trafficking.

Targeting a national park headquarters also carries symbolic and political value, demonstrating the ability of armed actors to challenge state authority in territory officially under government protection and environmental administration.

Strategic Assessment

In this context, the attack on Lusinga may represent more than a localized act of violence. It could signal a broader effort to disrupt conservation governance, weaken state presence, and expand influence over strategic wilderness corridors in southeastern DRC.