The diplomats, really?

On Saturday, 11th August, we went to the Centre for the Promotion of Craftworks in Cotonou and were surprised to find there openly displayed ivory products. We asked the artisan regarding the origin of this work and were stunned that he openly admitted that the ivory comes from illegally hunted elephants. We wondered who the buyers were, as ‘normal’ tourists would not be able to pass the controls in Europe and learned that it’s the diplomats that smuggle forbidden items, since they are not stopped by customs…

This reminded us of a conversation we had with the guide from Pendjari, who told us that some restaurants sell the meat of Africa’s wild animals. Not openly, but if a tourists asks in restaurants he can get lucky to be served this precious meat (usually antelope meat). Of course, also here the animals are usually slaughtered illegally, but – as the guide tried to reassure us shocked tourists – they are not animals of Benin’s national parks, they are hunted in Togo… as if that would make the situation any less worrying.

Let’s hope diplomats and tourists get smarter soon and stop supporting the illegal killing of Africa’s precious wildlife through their actions.