President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to the world’s biggest ivory bonfire, after demanding a total ban on
trade in tusks and horns to end “murderous” trafficking and prevent the extinction of elephants in
the wild.
“The height of the pile of ivory before us marks the strength of our resolve,” Kenyatta said,
before setting fire to the pyres.
Nairobi. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire Saturday to the world’s biggest ivory bonfire, after
demanding a total ban on trade in tusks and horns to end “murderous” trafficking and prevent the
extinction of elephants in the wild.
“The height of the pile of ivory before us marks the strength of our resolve,” Kenyatta said, before
setting fire to the pyres.
“Noone, and I repeat noone, has any business in trading in ivory, for this trade means death of our
elephants and death of our natural heritage.” Eleven giant pyres of tusks, and another of rhino
horns, are arranged in a semicircle now expected to burn for days in Nairobi’s national park.
Huge white clouds of smoke spiralled high into the sky, with thousands of litres of diesel and
kerosene injected though steel pipes buried in the ground leading into the heart of the pyramids to
fuel the blaze. President Ali Bongo from Gabon, who lit one of the pyres, spoke of the “massacre” of
forest elephants in central Africa, and said he backed moves to close all sale of ivory.
“Unless we take action now we risk losing this magnificent animal,” Bongo said at the ceremony,
telling poachers he was “going to put you out of business, so the best thing you can do is to go into
retirement now.” Africa is home to between 450,000 and 500,000 elephants, but more than 30,000
are killed every year on the continent to satisfy demand for ivory in Asia, where raw tusks sell for
around $1,000 (800 euros) a kilo (2.2 pounds). The pyres contain some 16,000 tusks and pieces of
ivory. (AFP)
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