S. Sudan needs wildlife crimes court amid illegal ivory trade: official

South Sudan needs to establish a special court to try wildlife crimes against a backdrop of increased illegal ivory trade, an official said on Thursday.

Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Minister, Jema Nunu Kumba, said South Sudan has registered an increase in ivory trafficking by networks of organized criminals.

Kumba said authorities seized at least two tonnes of ivory since July, adding that a special court is needed to try wildlife crimes suspects.

"Because of regular violation of wildlife laws, we request the ministry of justice to look at establishing special courts for wildlife crimes to facilitate the smooth implementation of wildlife protection," she said in the capital Juba as South Sudan officially joined the African-led conservation program, the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI).

Kumba said the signing the protocol will strengthen elephant conservation efforts by discouraging poaching and cultural practices that promote use of elephant products.

South Sudan's elephant population has declined from 80,000 in the 1970s to less than 3,000, according to data from the tourism ministry.

The decline is blamed on poaching, a lack of strong wildlife laws as well as animal migration caused by years of civil war.

Abert Schenk, head of the conservation group, Wildlife Conservation Society, called on the government to commit itself to implementing the EPI in order to save the country's elephants.

"Signing up alone will not save the African elephant in this country, but if we manage to translate this signing into concrete joint conservation actions on the ground," Schenk said.

Launched in February 2014 by leaders from Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon and Tanzania, the membership of the EPI group has since grown to 14 countries -- tasked with a goal to protect at least 40,000 elephants by 2020. Endit