African countries agree on measures to protect elephants

Representatives of wildlife conservation agencies from 20 African countries met on Wednesday in Cotonou, Benin's capital, and came up with a series of measures aimed at protecting elephants on the African continent.

Through a statement issued after the meeting, the representatives reaffirmed their commitment to ensure protection of elephants and guarantee their long term survival in all protected zones.

They also appealed for adoption of legislative measures banning ivory trade both at the national and international level.

The conservationists from countries in West, East and Central Africa called for mobilization of resources from financial institutions, governments, inter-governmental organizations as well as non-governmental organizations to guarantee execution of an action plan for protection of African elephants.

Speaking to Xinhua, the president of the African Elephants Coalition, Patrick Omondi from Kenya, said illegal poaching of elephants and ivory trade was uncontrollable in a good number of African countries.

"These reprehensible activities threaten, not only the survival of elephants, but also the economic development of our countries and it also undermines the environmental integrity of our ecosystems," he deplored.

He said the massacre of elephants and illegal ivory trade were mostly carried out by criminal networks and international cartels that engage in corruption, besides undermining the rule of law and security. Enditem