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NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9- The United States Government is worried about the increasing trade relations between Kenya and China, a US Cable released by Wikileaks revealed on Thursday.

The cable signed by American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger noted that exports between China and Kenya increased by more than 25 percent between 2004 and 2008 while those between his mother country and Kenya remained relatively flat.
Through the cable dated February 17 2010, Mr Ranneberger went on to explain that in 2008, China exported goods worth Sh73 billion in comparison to the US which exported goods worth Sh35 billion to Kenya.
“China’s exports in 2008 grew by 39 percent over 2007 capping the fourth straight year of at least 25 percent export growth, including a 54 percent increase in 2007 and a 79 percent increase in 2005,“ he said.
The American diplomat, who also observed that China exported more than 30 times its imports to Kenya, claimed that China was now the third largest exporter to Kenya after the United Arab Emirates and India.
He further expressed concern over the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement that Kenya signed with China providing new development grants.
“The agreement provides a Sh588 million grant from China to Kenya. Of the grant, Sh12 million will finance a computer program for the Ministry of Finance while the remaining funds can be used by Kenya to fund development projects of their choice,“ said the cable in part.
Mr Ranneberger further informed his government to approach its collaboration with China in relation to Kenya cautiously “as there appears to be little dovetailing of our (US) interests to date’.
“We expect China’s engagement in Kenya to continue growing given Kenya’s strategic location. If oil or gas is found in Kenya, this engagement will likely grow even faster. Kenya’s leadership may be tempted to move closer to China in an effort to shield itself from Western, and principally U.S., pressure to reform.“
“Given the possibility of a backlash by the Kenyan people against China, perhaps over the issue of imported Chinese labor or mishandling of natural resources, there may be benefits to keeping our distance, at least publicly, from China,“ he proposed.
Mr Ranneberger further accused the Chinese of flooding the Kenyan market with counterfeit goods saying they directly damaged the US market share in the country. He further accused China of turning a blind eye to Kenya’s reform agenda arguing that it was the reason why the two countries were warming up to each other.
“China has been silent on the implementation of the reform agenda, which we consider essential to Kenya’s future stability and prosperity…and it has not demonstrated any commitment to curb ivory poaching,“ he alleged.
Other issues of concern that were raised by the American diplomat include: China’s commitment to funding portions of the Northern Corridor road project, which links Mombasa and Nairobi to Ethiopia and Southern Sudan, as well as parts of the new Mombasa-Kampala standard gauge railway, the Thika Road project, the refurbishing of the Moi International Sports Complex at Kasarani, construction of a 100 bed hospital in Nairobi, oil drilling in Isiolo and the development of the Lamu port.
The American Ambassador also took issue with China for giving Kenya interest free loans.
“In 2008, Kenya received approximately Sh30 billion in interest-free and preferential loans, with Sh11 billion intended for the planned ring roads aimed at decongesting Nairobi. Since 2008, Kenya has implemented campaigns to attract investment from the Sh80.6 billion China-Africa Development Fund,“ said Mr Ranneberger.
While making reference to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), he also accused the Chinese of being behind the increasing incidences of poaching in Kenya.
“The KWS noticed a marked increase in poaching wherever Chinese labor camps were located and in fact set up specific interdiction efforts aimed to reduce poaching. KWS also reports that 90 percent of the ivory smugglers detained at JKIA are Chinese nationals,“ he alleged.

BY SARAH WAMBUI

Source: www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Kenyabusiness/US-worried-by-China-exports-to-Kenya-5178.html

Tuesday, 07 December 2010 13:28

Poaching and destruction of the environment is endemic throughout Zimbabwe and can be directly linked to the political upheavals and dire poverty suffered by many communities. (PIctured: The Scouts collected 220 snares during their training period.)
The Wildlife and Environment Protection Unit, (WEPU) is an acronym that is fast gaining popularity over the more negative “Anti-Poaching Unit’. Anti-poaching has been an integral part of fauna conservation throughout Africa’s history, but more recently it has been expanded to encompasses the protection of flora as well.
The Vumba, together with Chimanimani and Nyanga, form the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe – a very beautiful mountainous area.  But this lush natural garden is seriously under threat.   Indigenous forests are burning and the wild animals that inhabit  them are being slaughtered.  We as a nation need to react to this destruction quickly and decisively, if we are to preserve the magical, mystical Eastern Highlands.
In response to this environmental crisis and after extensive local stakeholder consultation, Environment Africa and The Tikki Hywood Trust joined forces in a strategic partnership with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). In late November the first Wildlife and Environment Protection Unit (WEPU) was launched in the Vumba.  This is the first project under the Vumba Green Fund, a Public, Private, Community Partnership, (PPCP), an innovative approach for the conservation and protection of our environment and wildlife and community upliftment.
This strategic partnership brings together  public institutions, the private sector and surrounding communities who, by working together, have pledged their support. Collectively, we are taking responsibility for protecting and conserving our environment, our heritage.
The first WEPU of eight scouts underwent an intensive training course conducted by Martin Steimer from Animal Lifeline together with Vumba National Parks.  During  training the scouts collected 220 snares, an 18 ton truck was impounded for illegal collection of wood and US$350 paid to National Parks Vumba from fines collected for illegal wood poaching.  
With initial successes like this, imagine the long term conservation benefit to the environment and community. The vision is to replicate this model throughout Zimbabwe.  The scouts are currently deployed under the direction of Vumba National Parks, but ultimately an Operational Manager will be employed to manage the day to day operations on the ground.  
It costs US$ 3000 per month to support an operational team of scouts, so private sector contribution and support is imperative.  Private sector support included Cape Union Mart, SA who discounted the teams camping equipment, a  private donation towards the cost of the equipment and British Airways, who waived all excess baggage fees for flying the equipment up to Zimbabwe.   
Poaching and destruction of our environment is endemic throughout Zimbabwe and can be directly linked to the political upheavals and dire poverty suffered by many communities.  Vumba is a prime example of this.  Through dialogue with the tourism sector as well as ZPWMA, we have found that there is a change in the cultural perceptions of the area with regard to the animals and plants of the region and their importance.  
For example, through traditional belief, local residents of the Vumba would not kill and eat  Samango Monkeys because they believed the result of this act would cause a drought in the region.  However, through the influx of migrants into the area, who do not subscribe to the same cultural beliefs, primates along with many other animals, have become a food source.
The fact that there is no facility in the area to cater for meat trade, ie abattoir or butchery compounds the problem.  Another resource that is being severely affected by the economic crisis is wood poaching, which is now rampant throughout the country due to the breakdown of electricity supply.  Wood is also being used for building traditional and temporary housing.
In the Vumba Botanical Gardens, the most inhibiting factor for effective protection of the area is lack of manpower on the ground. The National Parks staff members are too few in numbers to patrol the area thoroughly and still perform their regular duties. Furthermore, the Bunga Forest and the Botanical Gardens are not fenced, which adds to the difficulty of  protecting the area.  
The establishment of the WEPU will add tremendous value and much needed resource to work hand in hand with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authorities, private enterprise and the surrounding community.  By providing this protection, we now lay a pathway for community driven conservation activities, which benefit the people of the Vumba, as well as provide safe avenues for conservation research. The people of the Vumba may once again take pride in this unique area of Zimbabwe and be an inspirational example of collaborative conservation and community empowerment

Year of the Forest
2011 is the Year of the Forest and the Bunga Forest and it’s surrounds need to be protected.  According to National Parks, the Bunga Reserve was donated to the State by Mr Lionel Cripps, former speaker of the Southern Rhodesian Parliament, it was just less than 40 Ha.  The Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve was first made a National Monument in 1968, then a National Park in 1970 and a Botanical Reserve five years later.
In 1981, a year after Zimbabwe’s independence, the original gift of 40 Ha was extended to 1,558 Ha, with the incorporation of the neighbouring Castleburn and Ebbesborne estates. The Bunga reserve is constituted to preserve and protect rare and/or endangered indigenous plants which grow naturally in the wild so that they can be of benefit to the public, educationally and aesthetically. Chinhamapere Hill, on the Mozambique side of the mountains, has been a culturally-important site since the Iron Age, and has been proposed a World Heritage Site.
There are well-preserved hunter-gatherer rock art paintings (comprising several human figures, some holding bows and arrows and others in trance) thought to be of around 8000 years in age, as well as contemporary ritual sites, used for rainmaking, divining and healing. There are at least 86 Stone Age sites in the Zimbabwean portion of the mountains, some of which also continue to play roles of cultural significance.
Thanks to all the Vumba stakeholders for their support and we look forward to the Vumba Green Fund membership increasing.  If you are interested in supporting and or becoming a member of the Vumba Green Fund please do not hesitate to contact us.  [email protected]

Source:www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36087:wildlife-and-environment-protection-unit-launched-in-vumba&catid=32&Itemid=34

Yaound̩, Cameroon РAn operation by special police forces earlier this week in Central African Republic (CAR) led to the arrest of an important wildlife smuggler and seizure of elephant tusks and cat skins.

This comes amidst a series of similar successful operations in Cameroon, Gabon and Republic of Congo. WWF applauds these efforts as they give a clear warning to wildlife traffickers in the region.

The RALF (French acronym for Strengthening of the Wildlife Law Enforcement) project aims to increase wildlife law enforcement activities and judiciary follow-up of wildlife crimes in the CAR, targeting mainly high-level wildlife traffickers. It works closely with the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.
“This shows how successful wildlife law enforcement activities can be when they are supported at the highest level,“ said Jean-Bernard Yarissem, WWF Country Director in CAR. “Collaboration between CAR’s authorities and WWF’s RALF project are paying off.“

Two elephant tusks, five panther and two lion skins were seized in the operation staged on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. They were hidden under a pile of cow skins in a truck.

The smuggler – a CAR citizen working within an international network – was en route to Nigeria when he was arrested at a checkpoint some 25 kilometers outside Bangui. He will be prosecuted soon. Judicial authorities in CAR’s capital provided full support to the operation.   
Last week, the Cameroonian Ministry of forestry and wildlife assisted by police and The Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), which fights for wildlife law enforcement in Cameroon and the rest of Central Africa, arrested three traffickers with 17 turtle shells in two different operations. In Gabon, 16 ivory smugglers were caught with more than 100 kilos of ivory. All are in jail, awaiting trial.
Another dealer was arrested with 30 kilos of ivory in the Republic of Congo, and should be prosecuted.

“We are really moving a step forward as regional wildlife law enforcement is becoming a reality in Central Africa,“ said Alain Ononino, Head of Legal Department at the Last Grape Ape (LAGA).

Game rangers from Cameroon, Central African Republic and Republic of Congo on a joint patrol to track down poachers along the Sangha River.

Paris — Former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing has made an impassioned plea to authorities in Tanzania to uphold the country’s traditional commitment to the conservation of wildlife and show no mercy to poachers.

„Tanzania: Ex-French President Decries Poaching“ weiterlesen