President Kibaki leads in the destruction of illegal ivory

Written By:PPS,    Posted: Wed, Jul 20, 2011

President Kibaki led a contingent of leaders to Manyani where over 4 tonnes of ivory was burnt down President Mwai Kibaki has underscored Kenya's commitment to the war against wildlife crime stating categorically that criminals shall not be allowed to disinherit citizens of their natural heritage. President Kibaki asserted that Governments must appreciate the negative effects of the illegal wildlife trade to national economies hence the reason nations could not afford to sit back and allow criminal networks to destroy the common future.  In this regard, President Kibaki called for close intergovernmental cooperation so as to build necessary capacity for curtailing wildlife crime due to its cross-border nature. The President remarked, "Moreover, the cross-border nature of wild life crime underscores the need to enhance cooperation among our governments and to pool financial and human resources.  I am confident that these measures will go a long way in enhancing our capacity to protect our wildlife resources." President Kibaki made the remarks today at the Kenya Wildlife Service, Manyani Field Training School, during a colourful ceremony to observe the African Elephant Law Enforcement day and contraband ivory disposal. The President emphasized, "On this day therefore, Kenya would like to stand counted as a country at the forefront in wildlife conservation." Noting that wildlife resources in Africa play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the continent, the Head of State affirmed that it was imperative for governments to step up measures to protect and develop wild life resources.  As a sign of Kenya's commitment in war against wildlife crime, the President said the country was an active member of both the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Lusaka Agreement and fully supports the African Elephant Action Plan. The Head of State said that the government's commitment to wildlife protection was as a result of the full realization that it is the custodian of the rich and varied world heritage.  He acknowledged that it must conserve the rich heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of both the present and future generations of Kenyans and the global community at large. "As we seek to mobilize necessary resources and share information, I wish to affirm Kenya's commitment to the war against wildlife crime," the President stated. Through the burning of contraband ivory, the President stressed, the government was sending a clear message to poachers and illegal traders in wildlife about the collective resolve to fight the crime in the region and beyond. The Head of State stressed, "Poachers and illegal traders in ivory must know that their days are numbered and severe punishment will be meted to those engaging in wildlife crime." Expressing joy for presiding over the launch of the first-ever African Elephant Law Enforcement Day on the continent, the Head of State said the important occasion was also meant to celebrate the role played by law enforcement officers in the conservation of elephant populations in Africa. During the occasion, outstanding officers who had played a sterling role in the conservation of wildlife from five countries were awarded in appreciation of their effective leadership and achievement in operations to combat elephant poaching and ivory trafficking. Said the President, "On this occasion, I also wish to pay tribute to the wildlife law enforcement fraternity for the enormous contribution they have made in the protection of our natural heritage in general and of our elephant populations in particular." Added the Head of State, "As part of today's celebrations, we shall be recognizing the outstanding achievements of some of our law enforcement officers from the Lusaka Agreement countries." The President thanked representatives of various governments who graced the occasion and termed their presence a confirmation of the importance that African governments attach to the conservation of the continent's rich and diverse flora and fauna. He stated, "Through the disposal of contraband ivory, we seek to firmly demonstrate to the world our determination to eliminate all forms of illegal trade in ivory." He particularly appreciated that several member countries of the Lusaka Agreement have launched the African Elephant Law Enforcement Special Account and established the African Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System. The Special Account represents the efforts of countries under the Lusaka Agreement to raise the financial resources for enhancing governments capacity in fighting poaching and especially illegal trade in elephant ivory, the President observed. On the other hand, noted the President, the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System will provide the platform for various enforcement agencies to collect and share information on the trends and patterns of wildlife crimes. During the occasion the President torched a sizeable consignment of contraband ivory comprising of 335 tusks and 41,553 ivory hankos that were seized in Singapore in2002. In his remarks the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Dr Noah Wekesa said that wildlife was a trans-boundary resource which demanded joint cooperation and conservation efforts among nations. Dr Wekesa said that such joint efforts among nations would combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade while at the same time sending a strong signal to poachers that there are no safe havens for their criminal activities in the region and beyond. He emphasized that the torching of the seized ivory was a powerful message to the illegal wildlife traders and the chain that their activities were intolerable. Speaking on behalf of the President of the Lusaka Agreement Governing Council, the Ugandan Minister for Tourism, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu termed the occasion an exercise to protect Africa's wildlife for the sake of humanity. Prof Kamuntu emphasized that Africa was endowed with vast natural resources including wildlife but decried that the ivory being torched was largely poached in the continent. The Uganda minister thanked Singapore for confiscating the illegal ivory and prosecuting the culprits terming it a shining example of successful intergovernmental collaboration in efforts to eradicate poaching. He urged other African nations to sign the Lusaka Agreement as a commitment to fighting elephant poaching and illegal trade in wild flora and fauna. There are six parties to the Lusaka Agreement, the Republics of Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Kingdom of Lesotho while South Africa, Ethiopia and Kingdom of Swaziland are signatories. Other speakers during the occasion included the Tourism Minister Najib Balala, Director of Kenya Wildlife Services Dr Julius Kipng'etich, the Director, Lusaka Agreement Task Force, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife Mr. M.A. Wa-Mwachai. In attendance were senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of various conservation agencies.