Uganda, African States Agree On New Ways To Fight Illicit Wildlife Trade
Illegal wildlife trade continues threatening endangered species as demand for wildlife products rises globally. Uganda loses over 2 billion Ugandan Shilling (407, 800 GBP) annually to poaching. To combat this, Uganda Customs and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hosted an operation SAMA workshop in Entebbe, bringing together African states to share best practices against illicit wildlife trade.
Dr. Geoffrey Okaka, Uganda Customs Commissioner, says Uganda is committed to cooperating with African states to fight wildlife trafficking and dismantle criminal networks profiting from natural resources. UNODC Country Director, Sharon Lesa Nyambe, hoped the workshop would increase intelligence-sharing, arrests, and disruption of global wildlife trade networks.
Uganda Customs has a national interagency task force and exchanges intel internationally to target smugglers. As lead agency at all borders, customs play a key role in preserving endangered species. Delegates from several African countries attended along with UN representatives.
Source: NEWVISION
