State and non-state actors in the Greater Virunga Landscape are discussing plans and strategies to combat wildlife crime in the Greater Virunga Landscape.

On 13^th September 2023, the workshop brought together various actors, including Protected Areas Authorities, Immigration departments, Customs departments, Wildlife crime intelligence authorities, Prosecution authorities, Intergovernmental organisations and Non-governmental conservation organizations actors, to discuss ways of combatting wildlife crimes in this threatened landscape of Greater Virunga.

Participants of the Workshop on combating Wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape, on 13th September 2023 at Hill View Hotel, Rubavu, Rwanda

States and non-state entities are paving the way to zero-poaching, strengthened interstate collaboration, mutual legal assistance, wildlife crimes intelligence sharing in the Greater Virunga Landscape, …

“Let us share information, skills and experiences and defuse a good plan and strategies leading to the eradication of wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape. GVTC has developed a zero-poaching strategy, this can be the starting point to win this fight, but this will not be possible if all the actors are not together. The synergy of efforts is important. Everyone has a role to play, from surveillance, monitoring, detecting, information sharing, prosecuting, resource mobilization, sharing knowledge and skills….”: This was the main message from Dr. Andrew G. Seguya, while he was welcoming the participants of this workshop.

Sept 13, 2023: ES of GVTC, Dr. Andrew G. Seguya, addressing the participants of the Workshop on combating wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape.

On the side of the Representative of Rwanda Development Board, who officially opened this workshop, Mr. Telesphore Ngoga,  recalled that in April 2023, they have held a second symposium on illegal wildlife trafficking from which they have had an insight of the wildlife crimes in the country. He commended Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration for having urgently implemented the recommendation of widening the collaboration in combating wildlife crimes, which was one of the key recommendations formulated during that symposium.

On behalf of Rwanda Development Board, Mr. Telesphore Ngoga, Conservation Analyst, addressing the participants of the Workshop on combating wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape. Sept 13, 2023

“ I commend GVTC for this initiative to bring together all the players in the landscape to explore ways to tackle the always-increasing trends of crimes in wildlife and wildlife products. The creation of GVTC was a successful approach to preserving our shared resources as a heritage for future generations. We need to exercise all means to achieve this noble and common vision”. Has recommended Mr. Telesphone Ngoga, Conservation Analyst at Rwanda Development Board.

On behalf of the East African Community, Dr Ndoli Alain, in his keynote address with a focus on Underscoring transboundary collaboration, appreciated GVTC for having organized this workshop to combat wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape. He recalled that this region is endowed with a lot of biodiversity, which provides ecosystem services on which many stakeholders and groups are mutually dependent. However, this biodiversity is under serious pressure and is going to rapidly decline. For that, collaboration is important, and he confirmed that EAC is looking forward to collaborating with GVTC in the ten years to come, given that GVTC has recorded a number of successes in this Landscape, since its creation.

After this workshop of two days,  a session of the prosecutors, chief wardens and wildlife intelligence officers shall sit to defuse ways of sharing information and cooperate on this matter of combating wildlife crimes in the Greater Virunga Landscape.