US Ambassador to Cameroon: Killing of Elephants at Bouba Ndjidda National Park a "National Security" Issue

More than 200 elephants have been killed in the Bouba Ndjidda national Park since the beginning of the year.  What are your comments on this massacre?

Thank you for this opportunity. This is about more than elephants. And I want that to be to the point so that people understand. We are not talking just about elephants. We are talking about criminals from another country entering Cameroon and destroying a Cameroonian resource. A resource that generates employment and that can generate revenue over the long term. And I want people to understand this is not an environmental issue. Well part of it is an environmental issue. The real problem issue is national security.

What measures can be taken to stop this tragedy?

I think the government is already taking the right measures. The presence of military and engagement by the military is essential. Because the eco guards alone cannot do this.
You have to have a whole of government approach where the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife work together.
The park is huge. I have been to it myself and I understand that even a significant military presence will not be able to clear the park of poachers immediately.  However, as they push towards the border I do believe that they will be able to oust the poachers and secure the park for the future.

What kind of support can the United States bring to Cameroon in protecting endangered species in general, and elephants in Bouba Ndjidda national Park? 

When I went to Bouba Ndjidda last April we delivered communications equipment, transportation equipment and computers that will allow the tracking of poachers, so that you can identify how they are moving within in the Park. That is the practical side of what we are doing. We have also done a lot of training for the BIR, which I believe will enable the BIR to track, find and hopefully arrest or eradicate the poachers. So we are looking at this in two different ways. We have also been working as the United States Government with our Department of Interior, which is responsible for wildlife. They have been looking at the possibility of assisting with over-flights of the park to better track the poachers and to identity the remaining elephant populations so that we can keep them safe.

Wildlife is in danger in Cameroon. What can the authorities and the population do with regard to its preservation?

You know, I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of many people about wildlife, particularly elephants. They are seen as destroying crops. They’re seen as a nuisance. We need to change the thinking about this endangered species. Species are endangered because of poachers and because people do not understand that they play a key role in preserving the environment. The system isn’t in equilibrium if the elephants and other wildlife are destroyed. There is going to be an impact on the environment.

And so what I hope people will think about is how we can turn these national parks and the animals in them into a real revenue creator, so that the local population can have an investment in jobs. And in ensuring that the wildlife remains, so that they can have more opportunities, bring more tourists here, and generate more revenues for themselves from hunting concessions and from  tourism.

Source: United States Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Comments

[J. S. Dinga]

It would be nice to know that the US ambassador was being interviewed by a human being, a professional with title and associated news organization. As it stands, one senses a ghost asking the ambassador questions.

Addressing this poaching issue without dwelling on the totality of the wellbeing of those poachers themselves is a pipe dream. Yes, wildlife is a revenue generator but does the poacher see the revenue in any way having an impact on his lifestyle? Unless the answer to this basic question is in the affirmative, poachers will continue to want their own piece of the pie. Brainstorming should center on how to get poachers on board, make them have a sense of belonging and see what it is they stand to gain by letting the wildlife roam freely in nature. This is doable and ought to be part of the rescue plan, not just well armed officials who are here today but gone tomorrow, for the vicious cycle to recommence.

[Adboul]

JS Dinga, in case you missed it, the poachers are coming from Chad and Sudan and are part of Asian networks that are exploiting the huge Chinese thirst for Ivory. So I don't see how Cameroon is now responsible for creating a "sense of belonging" among foreigners who have literally invaded and taken over huge swathes of Cameroonian territory with using heavy artillery.

Yes, this is first and foremost a national security issue; too bad that Cameroonian authorities are using the same indifferent approach like you. One day you guys will wake up to find marauding Chadians and Sudanese on the doorsteps of Yaounde. But who care all you Cameroonians deserve each other; no sense of urgency as your once proud country goes down the lattrine...

[J. S. Dinga]

Sorry to have fallen short of your higher sense of judgement, Sir Abdoul. But it seems to me that even if the culprits are external invaders, nationals who are invested in their patrimony shoud be able to raise the alarm to their government for rescue. That was not the impression I got before I gave my remark which failed to meet your very high standard.