Angola drafts action plan to fight against ivory trafficking

The Angolan ministry of environment was drafting a national action plan to fight against illegal ivory trade in the African country for the year 2015 to 2017, the official news agency Angop reported on Tuesday.

The document, drafted in accordance with the convention on the prevention of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, proposed to reinforce inspection at airport and land borders to combat ivory trafficking

Angola was one of three countries of the world that worried the international community as it served as an intercontinental transit for large scale illegal ivory trade alongside Cambodja and Laos.

Filipe Kodo, an expert with the Angolan ministry of environment, said his country had been affected by the illegal ivory trade and many of the products were from some neighboring countries and passing by the country to other international markets.

Angola is one of the few countries which did not ban the trade of ivory and its products, which were openly on sale at a market in southern Luanda.

Angola was trying to reverse the current situation with reinforcement of inspection, legislation and awareness campaigns to eliminate ivory trade, according to Filipe Kodo.