This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On 17 August, a Cites conference in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded with a decision to maintain a ban on international trade in elephant ivory. The move was met with resistance from Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, which had proposed trading ivory from elephants in their region.
According to the Herald, Zimbabwe's state-run newspaper, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has stated that the country is considering pulling out of Cites to better guard its wildlife. The president cited the country's large elephant population, with over 84,000 animals, while the capacity to cope is around 56,000.
Mr. Mnangagwa expressed frustration with the motives of those making the decisions, questioning why Europeans, who have consumed their own wildlife resources, want to set rules for countries like Zimbabwe that have managed to conserve theirs.
He also stated that Zimbabwe has $600 million worth of ivory stockpiles, which could be used for big projects, including training rangers and erecting buffer zones for wildlife.
Mr. Mnangagwa has suggested that Zimbabwe could negotiate with countries like Japan and China to sell its ivory, expressing reservations with Cites.
