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Brent Stirton's Image
Michael Oryem holds tusks from a consignment of ivory he has led the Ugandan army to.
Michael was abducted by an armed group aged nine, and told to poach ivory in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to trade with the Sudanese Army for supplies and weapons. Seventeen years later, he defected and led the Uganda People’s Defence Force to this hoard. His testimony is evidence of the role of poaching in financing armed groups in Uganda.
Behind the lens
Brent Stirton
South Africa
Brent is a Senior Correspondent for Getty Images. He does most of his work for National Geographic Magazine, focusing on the intersection of humans and the environment.
Image details
- Canon EOS-1D X
- 24–70mm f2.8 lens
- 1/250 sec at f16
- Nzara, South Sudan
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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