President Jakaya Kikwete Interviewed by CNN's Amanpour on Ivory Trade

While in London for the meeting at Lancaster House in London on illegal wildlife trade, CNN’s journalist Christine Amanpour interviewed President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania on the question of ivory trade and poaching in Tanzania.

According to President Kikwete, the number of elephants in Tanzania has fallen sharply following poaching activities in the early 1970’s and 1980’s and of recent the second wave in 2010. He continued to say that the elephant population had fallen from 350 000 in the 1960’s to 110 000 elephants according to 2009 census.

President Kikwete affirmed that despite the controversial operation named OPERATION TOKOMEZA due to human rights’ abuse scandals, the operation will resume to save the poached animals.


According to Kikwete, the western countries are solicited into building capacity and equippement in protecting wildlife and fight against poaching. He believes that stopping the ivory trade will eliminate poaching as there will be no demand for ivory. Of current, Tanzania has a stock pile of about 112 tonnes of ivory.

With critics pointing fingers to the real commitment of the government to fight against poaching and ivory trade in Tanzania, the government will have to prove to the world that the war against poaching is there to stay!
Source: www.cnn.com