Since late 2022, the southern portion of Virunga National Park has fallen under the control of M23 rebels and Nyantura police forces, effectively halting gorilla monitoring activities and increasing poaching threats. According to Oxpeckers, throughout other sections of the park, various militia groups including Mai Mai, FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), and ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) attack wildlife and facilitate cross-border trafficking. According to Kivu Security Tracker, the illegal cross-border trade of natural resources generates an estimated $175 million annually, with armed groups receiving approximately $50 million between 2017 and 2020. This creates a dangerous connection between wildlife crime and regional insecurity. Conservation efforts are further hampered by understaffed and poorly equipped eco-guards, frequent attacks on ranger stations, and the release of detained poachers and traffickers. The situation has become so dire in some areas that monitoring of endangered mountain gorilla groups has completely stopped, leaving young gorillas particularly vulnerable to capture by poachers.