Conservation Organisations Unite to Save the World’s Most Endangered Gorilla
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Douala, Cameroon | 27 February 2026
Landmark workshop in Douala launches Cross River Gorilla Conservation Alliance and signs landmark manifesto
DOUALA, CAMEROON — In a landmark step for African wildlife conservation, nine conservation organisations working across the Cross River gorilla range in Cameroon and Nigeria came together in Douala this week for a three-day knowledge exchange workshop, emerging with a strong commitment: the establishment of the Cross River Gorilla Conservation Alliance and the signing of a Cross River Gorilla Manifesto.
The workshop, held from 25–27 February 2026 at the Lewat Hotel in Douala, was convened by the African Conservation Foundation (ACF) and facilitated jointly by ERuDeF and CEPOW Cameroon, who played a central coordinating role throughout the event. Participating organisations included SURUDEV, CIRMAD, CBMM, MEGWAH, AJESH, SEKAKOH, ERuDeF, CEPOW Cameroon, and the African Conservation Foundation — a formidable coalition of grassroots and regional conservation actors united by a single purpose: ensuring the long-term survival of the Cross River gorilla.
A Species on the Brink
The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is the most endangered gorilla subspecies on Earth. With only an estimated 250–300 individuals surviving in fragmented forest patches straddling the Cameroon-Nigeria border, every individual matters. Habitat loss, insecurity, poverty-driven forest encroachment, and weak policy enforcement have placed this extraordinary primate in a precarious position. Without coordinated, landscape-scale conservation action, its future is uncertain.
“The workshop convened a highly capable and experienced group of conservation practitioners, reflecting a depth of expertise that many international organisations would aspire to assemble,” said Arend de Haas of the African Conservation Foundation.
Three Days of Knowledge, Collaboration, and Commitment
The workshop brought together conservation leaders from key gorilla landscapes — including Takamanda, Kagwene–Mbulu, Mawambi, Tofala, the Rumpi Hills, Mone Wildlife Reserve, Upper Bayang, and the transboundary Nigerian range — to share hard-won field experience and build a shared vision for the future.
Over three intensive days, participants delved into community forest governance under Cameroon’s updated forestry legislation, biodiversity monitoring technologies including SMART systems, drones, camera traps, and environmental DNA (eDNA), and sustainable livelihood strategies — from agroforestry and beekeeping to aquaculture and ecotourism — that reduce communities’ reliance on forest resources. Discussions also explored emerging opportunities in carbon and biodiversity finance, as well as the power of storytelling and communication to strengthen local stewardship and international support.
“Very helpful insights in approaches and technologies — wonderful to meet highly motivated colleagues in conservation,” said Liyong Emmanuel Sama of CIRMAD.
The Birth of an Alliance
On the final day, participants established the Cross River Gorilla Conservation Alliance — a decentralised, multi-stakeholder platform designed to align organisational efforts, coordinate joint fundraising and project development, and harmonise biodiversity monitoring across the entire gorilla range. The Alliance will be anchored by an Alliance Secretariat hosted by ERuDeF and guided by a 12-month action plan developed collectively during the workshop.
The Alliance’s strategic framework rests on five interconnected pillars: conservation technology and monitoring, community forest governance, livelihood additionalities, carbon finance mechanisms, and innovative resource mobilisation — all in service of empowering local communities as the primary stewards of the gorilla’s forest home.
“Small initiatives need to be empowered in order to take the lead tomorrow. Getting this Alliance in place is going to build our capacity individually and collectively,” said Louis Nkembi, CEO of ERuDeF.
A Manifesto for the Gorilla
A defining moment of the workshop was the signing of the Cross River Gorilla Manifesto — a collective declaration of intent by all nine participating organisations, formalising their commitment to coordinated, community-led conservation action across the landscape. The manifesto sets out the alliance’s principles, shared values, and obligations to the gorilla, its habitat, and the communities that live alongside it.
“I am fulfilled as a participant and feel the approach to Cross River gorilla conservation is applicable to other species and landscapes,” reflected Kari Jackson of SURUDEV.
What Comes Next
The Alliance’s action plan charts a clear course for the months ahead: finalising governance documents and articles of association, strengthening the Alliance’s digital presence and public communications, expanding membership to additional partners, and organising a dedicated workshop for the Nigerian landscape. A fundraising strategy is already being developed, with ACF taking the lead.
“Getting this Alliance in place is a timely initiative — a great meeting of minds to start something great,” noted Desmond Fontoh Abwini of CEPOW, one of the workshop’s lead coordinators.
The workshop marks not an endpoint, but a beginning — of deeper collaboration, greater collective impact, and a renewed determination to pull the Cross River gorilla back from the brink. With community forests at the centre of the strategy, local knowledge driving conservation decisions, and nine organisations now united under a common banner, the outlook for this remarkable species is more hopeful today than it was a week ago.
About the Cross River Gorilla Conservation Alliance The Cross River Gorilla Conservation Alliance is a multi-stakeholder platform of conservation organisations working across the Cross River gorilla range in Cameroon and Nigeria. Its secretariat is hosted by ERuDeF. For more information, contact the Alliance Secretariat.
About the African Conservation Foundation The African Conservation Foundation (ACF) supports conservation organisations across Africa through knowledge exchange, capacity building, and partnership development. africanconservation.org
Media enquiries: African Conservation Foundation | info@africanconservation.org