The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome
Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director Dr. Andrew Seguya, together with colleagues from the other nearly 30 African countries seeking a greater protective status for their elephant populations, lobbied the European Union last week to help them lift the dual classification of elephant – some Southern African countries are still permitted to list their elephant under CITES Appendix II – and accord them a continent wide Appendix I status.
‘The African elephant is a single species and the CITES listing needs to reflect that‘ did he say in his presentation as Uganda alongside like-minded countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan from the Eastern part of Africa seeks support ahead of the CITES 17th Conference of Parties coming up on Johannesburg between the 24th of September to the 05th of October.
Host country South Africa, together with several neighbours, has come under intense pressure and been singled out for harsh critique over having their elephant on Appendix II and wanting to keep them there, setting the stage for some heated exchanges as the Elephant Coalition, together with much of the rest of the world, now forms a united front against the four and the key consumer countries of blood ivory, in particular China.
Dr. Seguya then went on to say: “We call on the EU to follow through on their commitment for a total ban on ivory trade and support an African solution to an African problem.”
