15 tonnes of ivory are destroyed in Kenya’s Nairobi National Park. Photo credit: Peter Chira.
Today Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta burned 15 tonnes of confiscated
ivory to commemorate World Wildlife Day as fellow Kenyans and
representatives from the African Union, the United Nations and various
conservation organizations looked on.
The ivory was destroyed inside Nairobi National Park at the site of the
first ivory burn in 1989, where former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
had burned 12 tonnes of ivory at the peak of the 1970–1980 ivory wars.
President Kenyatta pledged to destroy his country’s entire stockpile of
confiscated ivory by the end of the year.
“This day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against
wildlife crime,” said President Kenyatta at the March 3rd ceremony.
“Wildlife crime continues to pose wide-ranging economic, environmental
and social threats … Today, I call on everybody to join or sustain
efforts to prevent the poaching of our wildlife.”
The ivory burning was conducted alongside a day of festivities marking
World Wildlife Day, also known on the continent as Africa Environment
Day, which has been celebrated annually since its establishment in 2002
by the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union. It is also
Wangari Maathai Day, after the famed Kenyan environmental activist and
Nobel Peace Prize winner.
“The entire continent of Africa held the match to Kenya’s ivory
stockpile today,” said Daudi Sumba, vice president of program design and
government relations for African Wildlife Foundation, who attended the
ivory burn. “This move signals an absolute commitment and political will
by Africa’s leaders to adopt a zero tolerance policy when it comes to
wildlife crime. We are united in our efforts and desire to put an end to
the ivory trade and all illicit activities which rob us of our natural
heritage.”
In addition to the March 3 and 1989 burns, Kenya destroyed a stockpile
of ivory in 2011. The United States, China, Belgium, France, the
Philippines, Gabon and other countries have also destroyed stockpiles of
ivory. AWF continues to urge all countries with ivory stockpiles to
send a message to the market that there is no future in ivory and
destroy them.
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