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This article analyses the management of the Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the official creation of the park in 1970, various government policies have been implemented to manage the park. In the fifty-two years of the park’s existence, state-run management has evolved into a system of collaborative management with an unwavering objective: the involvement of local populations. The findings of the analysis conclude that the management policies and practices of the park are ineffective overall and that the gap between intentions and achievements remains wide.