Last week, the United Nations Security Council held a special meeting to discuss how elephant poaching in Central Africa may be contributing to escalating political instability in the region, as well as poor environmental wellness. According to a release from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an international conservation group, members of the Security Council were briefed on how illegal elephant poaching may be tied to weapons proliferation and other threats to peace and security in Central Africa.
In U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s report, which was presented at the meeting, he wrote, ‘Poaching and its potential linkages to other criminal, even terrorist, activities constitute a grave menace to sustainable peace and security in Central Africa.’ It is the hope of the WWF that the U.N. Security Council meeting will encourage members of the international community to heed the secretary-general’s recommendation.
Crawford Allan, WWF’s lead on illegal wildlife trade, explained that the report ‘calls on leadership from Heads of State in Central Africa to incorporate efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and poaching into national security plans and to treat it as a serious issue that requires urgent action and greater international cooperation.’ He added, ‘The response has to be prioritized and integrated with other efforts to combat threats to security in the sub region and beyond.’
The report raised the concern that ‘Illegal ivory trade may currently constitute an important source of funding for armed groups.’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also referred to the Libyan revolution that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, noting, ‘Also of concern is that poachers are using more and more sophisticated and powerful weapons, some of which, it is believed, might be originating from the fallout in Libya.’
In a group statement, Jim Leape, international director general of the WWF, commented, ‘The spread of cross-border poaching in Central Africa and its links to sophisticated armed groups is alarming. I echo Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s deep concern for the security of the region.’ He added, ‘To ensure peace, security and prosperity in Central Africa, efforts must be taken at the highest level to combat wildlife trafficking. I urge the governments of Central Africa to strengthen enforcement and criminal justice responses to wildlife crime and to address the linkages between it and other international crimes.’
