Below is a Bing translation of the French article that can be found at
Ivory trafficking knows enough worrying proportions. But, the State of Senegal decided to repressed by applying the Wildlife Act to protect these species endangered.
Senegal launches in the fight against transnational crime organized around ivory: the State of Senegal was sanctioned for the first time, the illegal trade in protected species. On Tuesday, May 20, 2014, when two mixed operations consisting of the Division of criminal investigation (Dic), the Ministry of the environment and sustainable development and project Salf, two traffickers in possession of 388 elephant ivory objects were arrested in flagrante delicto. Objects are primarily ivory jewelry.
This is a first of its kind in Senegal. And this has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between the State and a network of international partners specialize in matter, the Salf (-Application of the Wildlife Act) project and the Eagle network (Eco-activist for governance and law enforcement) that operates in many African States. According sources, Eloi Sokoto Tantri, dealer of Ivorian nationality, was arrested red-handed during the first raid in possession of a large quantity of ivory. Then, less than an hour later, the joint team has been redeployed to the arrest of a second dealer, Modou Sarr, one of the suppliers of Susy and owner of part of the 388 items of ivory seized. After hearing and custody, they were brought before the Tribunal of Dakar and put under deposit principal pending their trial. The value of the seized products is approximately 6 million Cfa francs in a system where the kilogram of ivory is sold for 2,000 dollars on the international market.
Professional, suspicious and well connected internationally, of Côte d’Ivoire to the France passing by the Usa, they belong, according to interlocutors, to dealeurs networks in this illegal trade in protected species. The investigation on the activities of these networks allowed to understand procedures and their fears of arrests.
Elephants are fully protected in Senegal. The holding, circulation and the sale of elephant trophies, are prohibited by article L.32 of Code hunting and the protection of Wildlife Act No. 86-04 of January 24, 1986. Offenders may be punished by penalty up to 1 year in prison and a fine of 1 200 000 francs Cfa. Senegal has also ratified the Cites Convention known as “Convention of Washington” in 1977 (Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna), a Convention United Nations which regulates and ensures that international trade of species listed in its appendices, as well as the parts and products resulting therefrom, does not interfere with the conservation of biodiversity and is based on sustainable use of species.
Interlocutors welcomed “the effort and the remarkable action of the Senegalese authorities who contributed to the success of these operations.” Through these actions, Senegal joined many other countries in Africa in the active fight against this crime and now puts to the rank of heroic countries struggling to save the heritage of Africa. “This first action has been strongly welcomed and praised by the international community and we hope that foreign Governments will continue to support Senegal in response to this scourge,” says an actor in the fight against the traffic of ivory.
On the other hand, the penalty imposed on this band of traffickers is contrary “to what was expected of the Senegalese judiciary. Because the departmental Court of Dakar was imposed Friday, May 30, 2014, a rather low sentence. They were sentenced to three months imprisonment including a month closes and the payment of 500,000 CFA FRANCS.
It is true that these are still crimes poorly known by the Senegalese judiciary, but the mercy of the Court is much more surprising that article 32 of the Code of the hunting and wildlife protection provides for penalties up to 1 year in prison.
Conviction of traffickers
Also, the case has proven that the two traffickers were fully aware of the illegal nature of their activity. Eloi Tantri Sokoto stated: “the ivory trade reports much more money than the other business but I know that it is forbidden and that is very dangerous.” As well as Modou Sarr, who intentionally mentioned on his business card “seller of ivory”, still says sources. They have therefore made the choice to get involved in the smuggling of fraudulent products in any knowledge and despite the Senegalese laws. Knowing that the Wildlife Act is applied in other countries what they fear, they prefer to operate illegally and with impunity in Senegalese territory. “The illegal trade in the species is a transnational organized crime. It is not localized poaching. “This is the 4th largest illegal trade in the world after that of weapons, drugs and human beings humans according to the United Nations Congress on Crime. It represents about 19 billion dollars of profit each year worldwide. It is the fact of often powerful and organized criminal networks.
19 billion profit worldwide
In recent years, the massacre of the elephants have intensified dramatically, they are large scale, at a pace unprecedented and with more and more sophisticated methods. 96 elephants are killed every day in Africa, which represents 35,000 elephants killed per year, only for their ivory. Demand Asian, engine international ivory trafficking, is the direct cause of the massive fall of elephant populations across Africa and if nothing is done now, the elephant could disappear by 2030.
Today, irrefutable evidence the explosion of ivory trafficking undermines stability and security of African States because the poachers and traffickers have firepower becoming increasingly important and because trafficking is linked to terrorism and finance wars in some regions, the Somali terrorist group Al-Shaabab, South-soudannais Jenjawids and the Lra of Joseph Kony are involved in the international smuggling of ivory.
This traffic endangers ecosystems and the survival of people who depend on them, and also has a significant impact on the economy of tourism in Africa. Wildlife trafficking is a conservation problem, an economic problem, a security issue and a health issue. More and more African States take this threat seriously. The image of the other countries of the subregion where these same violations are punishable by sentences ranging up to 15 years imprisonment, Senegal must be in rest and should carry out a reform of its Code. But by then, the Senegalese authorities must meet the challenge of the fight against organized crime and law enforcement, in order to stop the killing, stop the traffic, stop the application!
sale of elephant trophies, are prohibited by article L.32 Code hunting and the protection of Wildlife Act No. 86-04 of January 24, 1986. Offenders may be punished by penalty up to 1 year in prison and a fine of 1 200 000 francs Cfa. Senegal has also ratified the Cites Convention known as “Convention of Washington” in 1977 (Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna), a Convention United Nations which regulates and ensures that international trade of species listed in its appendices, as well as the parts and products resulting therefrom, does not interfere with the conservation of biodiversity and is based on sustainable use of species.
Interlocutors welcomed “the effort and the remarkable action of the Senegalese authorities who contributed to the success of these operations.” Through these actions, Senegal joined many other countries in Africa in the active fight against this crime and now puts to the rank of heroic countries struggling to save the heritage of Africa. “This first action has been strongly welcomed and praised by the international community and we hope that foreign Governments will continue to support Senegal in response to this scourge,” says an actor in the fight against the traffic of ivory.
On the other hand, the penalty imposed on this band of traffickers is contrary “to what was expected of the Senegalese judiciary. Because the departmental Court of Dakar was imposed Friday, May 30, 2014, a rather low sentence. They were sentenced to three months imprisonment including a month closes and the payment of 500,000 CFA FRANCS.
It is true that they are still crimes poorly known by the Senegalese judiciary, but the mercy of the Court is all the more surprising that article 32 of the Code of the hunting and wildlife protection penalties carry.