Lusinga, DRC
Photojournalism by Maxime Coué
Lusinga, situated in the Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, serves as the headquarters for the Upemba-Kundelungu National Park. The station is home to 70 rangers and their families. The two parks have suffered from decades of conflict, poaching, and poverty. In 2004 Lusinga was attacked resulting in the death of 7 people, and again in 2012 Mai-Mai (rebel groups) attacked. The living conditions of the rangers have been extremely difficult, abandoned to their own devices, many turned to poaching. Recently, the situation has stabilized enough for the rangers to obtain a small salary, however, their whole family depends on this paycheck. In this remote wilderness, this series of photographs shows the people on the frontline of Congolese conservation in day to day life.
www.maximecoue.com
Media: 120mm Portra Film Mamiya 7
