NEW YORK YAJADILI UFANISI WA SHERIA ZINAZODHIBITI BIASHARA YA PEMBE ZA TEMBO

 Balozi Tuvako Manongi akiwa na  Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Hifadhi ya Mazingira, Bw. Robert K Sweeney ( Mb)

 Wengi waliojitokeza kusikiliza majadiliano hayo.

  Mauaji holela ya tembo na biashara haramu ya tembo  ni suala linalowagusa  watu wa kada mbalimbali

 Sehemu ya washiriki wakifuatilia  majadiliano hayo ambayo pia yaliwahusisha  wataalam kutoka Asasi zisizo za kiserikali zinazojihusisha na  hifadhi ya mazingira na mali asili.

 Muwakilishi  wa kudumu wa Tanzania katika Umoja wa Mataifa, Balozi Tuvako Manongi akizungumza katika mkutano huo ambapo pamoja na mambo mengine alielezea jitihada zinazofanywa na serikali katika kudhibiti ujangili na biashara haramu ya pembe za tembo

 Bw. William C. Woody ( mwenye tai ya njano) Naibu  Mkurugenzi kutoka Ofisi  inayosimamia sheria akiwa na  Bw. Richard G. Ruggiero   Mkuu wa Kitengo cha Afrika,  Uhusiano wa Kimataifa , huduma za Samaki na Wanyamapori  nchini Marekani. Wakitoa ushuhuda wao kuhusu changamoto wanazokabiliana nazo katika udhibiti na usimamizi wa sheria zinahusu biashara ya  pembe za tembo na wanyama wengine walio katika hatari ya kutoweka

 Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya  Hifadhi ya Mazingira ya Bunge la New York,  Bw. Robert K. Sweeney akiongoza  mkutano ( public hearing) aliouandaa kujadili na kubadilishana mawazo  kuhusu  ufanisi wa sheria na kanuni zinazodhiti biashara ya pembe za tembo  katika New  York, mkutano huo ulifanyika siku ya Alhamis. New York ndiyo inayoongoza katika Marekani kwa kuwa kituo cha Biashara ya  pembe za   tembo na biadhaa zake katika mwaka 2012  pembe za  tembo zenye thamani ya  dola  milioni mbili zilikamatwa

KUJUA ZAIDI  ALICHOSEMA BALOZI MANONGI BOFYA SOMA ZAIDI

Na  Mwandishi Maalum

Wakati Serikali ya  Tanzania  ikijipanga   kwa utekelezaji wa awamu ya   pili ya  Operesheni Tokomeza Ujangili,  Bunge la New York,  nchini Marekani, kupitia Kamati yake ya  Hifadhi ya Mazingira  linajipanga  kuangalia namna ya  kuboresha ufanisi wa sheria na kanuni zinazolinda na  kudhibiti biashara ya pembe za Tembo na wanyama wengine.

 Katika  kutekeleza azima hiyo,  jana   alhamisi,  hapa  New York, Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Hifadhi ya  Mazingira Robert K. Sweeney(Mb) aliitisha mkutano ( public hearing)  uliokuwa na lengo   la kusikiliza    michango na maoni kutoka kwa wadau mbalimbali, michango    ambayo  kwa namna moja  ama nyingine itachangia  katika uboreshaji wa sheria na sera zilizopo hivi sasa.

Mwakilishi wa  Kudumu wa  Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania katika Umoja wa Mataifa,  Balozi Tuvako Manongi, alikuwa miongoni mwa waalikwa waliopewa fursa ya siyo tu,  kutoa ushuhuda  wa  ukubwa wa tatizo la ujangili na adhari zake. Lakini pia kuelezea nini   mamlaka husika  zinafanya kukabiliana na tatizo hilo na kutoa ushauri na mapendekezo ya  hatua zaidi za  kukabiliana na changamoto hiyo.

Pamoja na kuwasilisha   ushuhuda wake na hatua zinazochuliwa na serikali  , Balozi Manongi pia alijibu maswali mbalimbali yaliyoulizwa na  Mwenyekiti wa Kamati na wajumbe wengine.

Akifungua  mkutano huo,  Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya  Hifadhi ya Mazingira,  Robert Sweeney alisema.   Tembo wa Afrika  ambao ni urithi wa dunia  na  muhimu kwa ustawi wa mwanadamu wamo hatarini kutoweka kama hatua madhubuti zaidi hazitachukuliwa.

Akatahadharisha  kuwa uwindaji   haramu wa tembo kwaajili ya pembe zao siyo tu kwamba  umekidhiri na  kuongezeka badala ya kupungua,   lakini pia  hivi sasa  mitandao ya mbalimbali ya   uhalifu na ugaidi   inajiingiza kwa kasi katika eneo hilo.  

“ Hali ni mbaya, mauaji ya tembo yanaongezeka,  tunahitaji kuchukua hatua zaidi na ndio maana  nimeitisha mkutano huu ili  kuangalianamna gani sheria na kanuni   zetu zilizopo zitaweza kuwa na ufanisi zaidi katika  kudhibiti biashara ya meno ya tembo” akasema  Mwenyekiti.

Akabinisha kwamba  katika New York biashara ya meno ya tembo   inadhibitiwa  kupitia sheria na kanuni mbalimbali lakini pamoja na  sheria hizo,   bado New York  inaongoza katika  Marekani kwa kuwa kituo cha  biashara ya pembe za tembo.

Akatoa mfano kwa kueleza kuwa katika mwaka 2012,  pembe za tembo zenye dhamani ya dola 2 milioni  ambazo  ziliingia  New Yor kwa njia zisizo halali zilikamatwa   na kutekezwa. Na kwamba tatizoni kubwa.

Akitoa  ushuhuda wake,   Mwakilishi wa Tanzania Balozi Manongi, alielezea  kwa kina  namna ambavyo  Serikali ya  Tanzania chini ya Uongozi wa Mhe. Rais Jakaya   Mrisho Kikwete inavyoshughulia  tatizo la ujangili na biashara haramu ya pembe za  tembo.

Akasema  utekelezaji wa sheria, será na kanuni mbalimbali unachangamoto nyingi lakini  Serikali haijakata tamaa imejipanga vyema ili kuhakikisha kwamba uridhi huo wa Tanzania na dunia kwa ujumla haupotei kabisa

Akasema  tisho la kutoweka kwa  tembo si la  nadharia ni la kweli  kabisa  na kwa sababu hiyo akasema Tanzania  inaunga mkono juhudi za kimataifa za  kukabiliana na  ujangili na itakuwa tayari  kushirikiana na wadau mbalimbali kuokoa Tembo wa  Tanzania na Afrika kwa ujumla.

Akarudia wito ambao umekuwa  ukitolewa mara kwa mara na   Mhe. Rais  Kikwete kwamba,  njia mojawapo  na muhimu ya kukabiliana na  biashara ya  pembe za  tembo ni  kudhibiti soko la bidhaa hiyo.

Hata hivyo akasema  ,  umaskini   pia unachangia kwa baadhi ya watu kujihusisha na kushirikiana na majangili kama njia ya   kujipatia kipato.

TESTIMONY BY TUVAKO N. MANONGI, AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK AT A PUBLIC HEARING ON “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NEW YORK’S RESTRICTIONS ON THE SALE OF IVORY”, NEW YORK, 16 JANUARY 2014

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Members

1.     At the outset permit me to thank you for holding these hearings and for inviting us to add our voice to your effort to strengthen “the effectiveness of New York’s restriction on the sale of ivory”.

2.     It has rightly been stated that elephants – the largest remaining land mammal on earth – are today facing one of the greatest crises to hit the species in generations as a result of a dramatic rise in poaching for their ivory. Efforts such as those being expended by this Committee and the State Assembly are important and necessary in our global effort to save the African elephant population from extinction. The scale of the problem is such that the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, in September 2013 at the United Nations, here in the city, called for the international community to close down ivory markets.

3.     In my country, the slaughter of elephants and the seizure of illegal ivory have soared in the recent past. Voracious markets, particularly in Asia, coupled with under-resourced and under-equipped wild life protection units have placed elephant herds at risk throughout Africa. We testify to the fact that illegal trade in ivory is having a devastating impact on the elephant population in the continent. It also possesses a threat to people, as poachers are gun down families and even game wardens.

4.     According to a recent report by the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) 22,000 elephants were killed in 2012 compared to 25,000 that were killed in 2011. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) estimates that 96 elephants are killed each day in Africa. It is troubling to note that most of the slaughter is happening in Tanzania and in neighboring Kenya, which like my country is also a source and transit State for ivory smuggled from landlocked countries in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, including those countries afflicted by conflicts. The illicit ivory is mostly destined to black markets in Asia where it is deemed as “white gold”.

5.     At the African Elephant Summit held early last December 2013, it was observed that current elephant poaching in Africa remains too high and could lead to extinctions if the present killing rates are not reversed. Incidentally, the high poaching levels are mirrored by the ivory trafficking figures as tracked by CITES.

6.     These circumstances call for urgent and resolute actions at national, regional and international levels to combat the flourishing wildlife trafficking. In addition, they demand a multidimensional approach ranging from law enforcement, advocacy, and stringent trade measures at all levels to curb illicit trade in ivory. They also require investments in, and transfers of, relevant technologies and knowledge on conservation of endangered wildlife.

7.     Last year, during his visit to the United Republic of Tanzania, President Obama characterized wild life trafficking as “an international crisis that continues to escalate”. The President committed the cooperation of the United States with Africa in combating the criminality. Consequently, his Executive Order 13648 on Combating Wildlife Trafficking, commits, in appropriate cases and upon request, to assist those government experiencing wildlife trafficking. Tanzania has sought such support with a view to strengthening our own enforcement mechanisms to stop poaching and arrest the illicit trade.

8.     What is it that Tanzania is doing? We have in place a policy and legal framework for protecting wildlife in the country, namely the Wildlife Act of 2009 together with its Regulations and subsidiary legislations and the Wildlife Policy of Tanzania. However, in spite of this framework, the country is experiencing a rise in poaching incidents that have drastically reduced our elephant population.  In light of this extraordinary situation, the Government resorted to unprecedented measures by launching a countrywide special anti-poaching operation last October 2013.

9.     The operation apprehended 1,030 suspects together with a cache of around 1,600 military and civilian weapons. It also captured huge ivory stockpiles, including those that had reached seaports for shipment to foreign destinations. Some suspects have been arraigned in court while investigation is pending for others. The second phase of this operation will commence soon to address continuing poaching which in the month of December 2013 alone claimed the lives of over 60 elephants. The fight must continue as long as the danger persists, and it does!

10.  Our interventions must aim at stopping the massacres being perpetrated against elephants and other endangered species. We must deploy all means at our disposal to achieve the objective. We need to undertake more vigorous aerial surveillance, putting to use the technologies at our disposal such as satellite and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We need to scale up elephant tagging and strengthen game rangers patrols. Most critically, we must scale up public sensitization to participate and assume ownership and leadership in the fight against wildlife trafficking. We believe international assistance is vital in enabling African countries to save their endangered wildlife, which is a common human heritage.

11. We applaud the recent move by the United States to destroy 6 tons of ivory seized over 25 years. This move sends a clear message to the criminal gangs that international resolve to stump the illicit trade is firm and growing. We have seen similar actions by some Asian countries, namely China and the Philippine as well as in Africa.

12.  I must also say that in our view, we also need to address the underlying causes of illicit trade in ivory. Poverty is among the chief drivers of the illicit trade. It exposes the poor to criminal networks that exploits the natural resources of the continent, fueling conflicts and instability to feed the ever-growing demand for ivory in global markets. Needless to say, poor governance and political instability is another contributing factor. Organized criminals flourish in places with fragile or non-existent government institutions as witnessed in some conflict and post-conflict countries in the continent. It is therefore imperative that we must also forge broader effort to address the root causes of such instability, including through the support of institutions, rule of law and enforcements mechanisms.

13. Finally, we must enhance our efforts to combating trans-national organized crime. Wildlife trafficking is increasingly associated with rebel and terrorist groups such as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda terrorist cell in East Africa. The cocktail of poverty, anarchy and trans-national organized crime is extremely explosive and destructive. Groups such Al Shabaab should not be allowed to mutate as they have done in the past decade. These have moved from staging a rebellion in Somalia to engaging in piracy and armed robbery at sea, to supporting armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and now into poaching.  It in this regard that President Kikwete regrettably noted that elephants have become the latest conflict resource. New York City can make a difference in saving elephants.

14.  In the face of all these challenges that need to be overcome, there are still rays of hope. Today there is expanding international cooperation and growing national awareness and apprehension that is paving way towards improved law enforcement and the reduction of demand for ivory. We owe it to ourselves to do more to curb the disturbing rise in poaching and illegal trade in ivory and other endangered animals. This must be our calling and our destiny in the interest of our common heritage. We see the work of this Committee as an important part of the optimism we hold. We also see your work in enhancing the effectiveness of New York's restrictions on the sale of ivory as yet another reason why we can all claim, We Love New York! I thank you for your kind attention.