German minister to visit Kenya for anti-poaching campaign
German environment minister Barbara Hendricks, who is set to visit Kenya to campaign against proposals by some African countries to lift bans on ivory trade. PHOTO | AFP
Kenya is set to host German's federal minister for the environment Barbara Hendricks for four days on her visit to campaign against proposals by some African countries to lift a ban on ivory trade.
Dr Hendricks will arrive in the country on Wednesday and will hold talks with the executive directors of UN-HABITAT and UNEP in Nairobi on Thursday.
The visit is part of her trip to three African countries and comes amid calls by a number of countries, such as Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, to lift the ban on trade trade in ivory and rhino horn. Kenya and Germany oppose the proposals.
"We are strongly in favour of upholding the current bans on trade in ivory and rhino horn. In light of the fact that poaching is out of control, any relaxation of the bans would send a completely wrong signal.
“We thus oppose the proposals submitted by Swaziland regarding rhino-horn trade, by Zimbabwe and Namibia concerning the resumption of ivory trade, and by South Africa regarding the introduction of a trade mechanism," she stated prior to her departure.
The project aims at training community rangers and improving collaboration with their Tanzanian counterparts. Since the project began, no elephant has been poached.
Dr Hendricks will also meet rangers of anti-poaching brigades at the Amboseli National Park.
