"CHINESE authorities in Shanghai are holding two Chinese traders for
trafficking more than three tonnes of ivory believed to have been "loaded"
(hidden in containers) in Kampala after it allegedly originated from the DR
Congo, transited through Kenya and smuggled into China."
Netters!
Just think of how many Africans Elephants which had to be killed in DRC
CONGO to generate THREE TONNES OF IVORY! At this rate the international
community will be lack if elephants will exist ten years from today.
The Thieves IN DRC in collaboration with their Ugandan counter parts in
Yoweri Museveni's Uganda, must have had a field day! They are pretty much
looting DRC resources with absolute impunity!!
Matek
China Impounds DRC Ivory
Email This Page
Print This Page
New Vision (Kampala)
January 1, 2003
Posted to the web January 2, 2003
Alfred Wasike
Kampala
and Emmy Allio
CHINESE authorities in Shanghai are holding two Chinese traders for
trafficking more than three tonnes of ivory believed to have been "loaded"
(hidden in containers) in Kampala after it allegedly originated from the DR
Congo, transited through Kenya and smuggled into China.
The arrests and seizure are worrying conservationists world-wide that the
recent controversial move by the United Nations Convention on Trade in
Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) to allow three African
countries to sell off their ivory stockpiles is being exploited by poachers.
China and Japan are the biggest consumers of illegal and legal ivory.
Investigations by The New Vision indicate that the Chinese ivory traffickers
connived with some Ugandan traders with big connections in Government to
smuggle ivory from the war ravaged DR Congo and concealed it in containers
through a yet an unestablished shipping company in Kampala.
The ivory traffickers have been identified as Li Wenjian the manager of
Shanghai Yanzi Industry and Trade Company, and Liang Zhiquiang, a businessman
from Panyu Guangzhou Guandong. According to Wan Ziming of the CITES
Management Authority in China, the traffickers were nabbed on September 7,
2002.
Elephants are highly endangered, according to CITES. But the 1989 global ban
on ivory trade is being threatened by a CITES decision to allow South Africa,
Zimbabwe and Botswana to sell more than 70,000kg. Poaching saw African
elephant numbers plummet from 1.3 million in 1980 to just 600,000 in 1989,
when the ivory trade was banned.
The Fund for Animals, the World Wildlife Fund International, IUCN's TRAFFIC
International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other
wildlife conservationists have raised serious concern on the escalating
trafficking of ivory.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) spokesperson, Lilian Ajarova said, "We
condemn the export of ivory in the strongest terms. But we deny that as, an
authority we had knowledge about the alleged loading of the ivory in Uganda
and its transit through here."
UWA chairperson, John Nagenda said, "I hope it is not part of a conspiracy to
implicate Uganda. Whoever is making the allegation should be able to provide
where, how and when the ivory was loaded in Kampala and transited to that
place."
