Juan Carlos Vasquez © http://www.unmultimedia.org
A call to investigate the alleged involvement of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the poaching of African elephants has been welcomed by the UN agency dealing with stopping trade in endangered wildlife.
The call was made by the Security Council in a presidential statement on 19 December which condemned the destabilizing activities of the LRA rebels in Central Africa.
Juan Carlos Vasquez of the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) says the poaching of African elephants is becoming a serious problem.
“It’s becoming a very serious problem because now we are realizing that many of the crimes against wildlife in Africa are committed by organized crime groups with very sophisticated weapons, very well organized and with connections around the world to the black market that traffic in wildlife.” (Duration: 20″)
The CITES Secretariat says it is ready to support the investigation into the alleged involvement of the LRA in the poaching of African elephants.
Gerry Adams, United Nations.
Duration: 1’10″
Read more and listen to the interview: http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2012/12/cites-welcomes-call-for-probe-into-lra-involvement-in-poaching-of-african-elephants/
Allison Hanes 