Land laws were reformed in the 1960s after the country became independent , and the land declared property of the state , much to the disadvantage of local people . Illegal hunting inside protected areas increased . In 1969 , the two parks were merged under the name Virunga National Park and enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 . Since the early 1990s , the protected area was impacted by political turmoil in the African Great Lakes region . Following the Rwandan genocide , thousands of refugees fled to the Kivu region and presence of military increased . The First and Second Congo Wars further destabilised the region . Anti-poaching patrols inside the park were obstructed , park personnel and wildlife killed . About 850,000 refugees lived around the national park in 1994 . Up to 40,000 people entered the park daily in search of firewood and food , and deforested huge areas . In 1994 , Virunga National Park was entered into the List of World Heritage in Danger . In 1996 , the national park was enlisted as a Ramsar site of international importance
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Virunga National Park