South Sudan joins Interpol-led operation against wildlife crime

South Sudan has accepted to join an operation led by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to combat wildlife crimes, an official said Tuesday.

Khamis Adieng Ding, spokesperson of South Sudan's Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, said the operation dubbed "Thunder Beat" would see security agencies carry out joint searches in checkpoints and areas suspected of being used to hide animal products.

Ding said the campaign between Jan. 30 and Feb. 19 seeks to clamp down on ivory trafficking, illegal possession of wild animals and smuggling of forest products such as timbers.

"Because of the prevailing situation and lack of facilities, we are going to do the operation in Jubek state. We will cover all the checkpoints, the airport and some suspected markets, institutions and houses once we acquire search warrants," Ding told Xinhua in Juba.

Ding said lack of tourism infrastructure, poaching and ongoing civil war had hampered development of the tourism industry in the war-torn African country.

Ding also welcomed China's decision to end commercial trade in ivory products by the end of 2017 and urged other countries to follow China.

South Sudan has the world's second largest animal migration and is considered a good place for ecotourism, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

South Sudan is also known for its vast swamp region of the Sudd, known as one of the largest wetlands in the world hosting about 400 species of birds.

However, tourism industry made up only 1.8 percent of South Sudan's GDP, WTTC said in 2013. Endit