The African Union (AU) has backed a report by the Gambia and 39 other African countries calling for a ban on the trade in donkey skins. The paper, titled ‘Donkeys in Africa Now and in the Future,’ reveals the dramatic reduction of the African donkey population as a result of the donkey skin trade.
The report on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, produced by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources and the International Coalition for Working Equids, was approved at the 5th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment.
The number of donkeys in Africa has been on the decline due to numerous slaughters driven by demand from China for traditional Chinese medicine.
“This is so important for communities in Africa and their donkeys which suffer untold cruelty driven by this insatiable demand for their skins. We are delighted that the Committee recognised the socio-economic contribution of the donkey to livelihoods in Africa and hope every African country will respect this decision and stop this trade to preserve this critical natural heritage and the livelihoods that it supports,” Dr Raphael Kinoti, Regional Director of Brooke East Africa.
The African Union’s Executive Council has committed to a pan-African strategy and a moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins, marking a significant milestone in protecting Africa’s donkey populations and their communities. The adoption of the report, formed as part of the 2022 Pan African Donkey Conference in Tanzania, is seen as a critical step towards ending the horrific donkey skin trade.
Delegates from the following Member States participated in the STC: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Liberia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Saharawi Republic, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
