Cameroon deploys army to halt Sudanese poachers
Yaoundé, Cameroon, 16th November 2012—Cameroon has mobilised its special forces to prevent Sudanese poachers from entering its territory to hunt elephants for their ivory.
It is believed the poachers are the same as those who, in early 2012, traveled more than 1,000 km on horseback from Sudan and across the Central African Republic and Chad to kill more than 300 elephants in Bouba N'Djida National Park in northern Cameroon.
The strong global demand for ivory, coupled with the porous borders and the difficulties of enforcing laws in the region,seriously threatens the survival of elephants in the Congo Basin. Although exact numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that the elephant population in Central Africa has been reduced by half between 1995 and 2007.
