Den internationalt eftersøgte oprørsleder Joseph Kony har beordret sin “Lord’s Resistance Army” til at dræbe elefanter i den Centralafrikanske Republik. Stødtænderne er blevet fjernet og solgt.
“The LRA has been responsible for some of the most egregious (afskyvækkende) violations of human rights in Central Africa. Now Kony and his rebels appear to be engaging in elephant poaching (krybskytteri) and ivory smuggling to sustain their terrorist operations”, said Bas Huijbregts, head of policy engagement for WWF (Verdensnaturfonden) in Central Africa.
“The security implications of illegal wildlife trade extend far beyond conservation. It is a national security issue and a threat to human life,” added he.
Last month the United Nations Security Council requested an investigation into LRA’s sources of funding, including elephant poaching and ivory smuggling.
The move came just after a briefing of UN ambassadors by WWF and TRAFFIC experts highlighting the national security threat posed by wildlife crime.
Poaching of elephants has reached crisis levels in Central Africa, largely due to demand for ivory products in Asian markets such as China and Thailand.
Through a global petition, WWF and its supporters are calling on the Thai prime minister to ban ivory trade in the country.
Se også
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?207484/Konys-LRA-engaged-in-poaching-and-ivory-trade
