Gov’t denies exporting wildlife species to Russia

The government of South Sudan has rubbished reports that the country signed an agreement with its Russian counterpart to export wildlife species to Moscow.

In a statement dated 11/02/2022, the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism said the discussion with the Russian Ambassador Dr Evgeny Kalashnikov did not encompass an agreement to export wildlife species.

“What happened is that, the Hon. Minister held a meeting Russia’s Deputy Ambassador Dr Evgeny Kalashnikov on Wednesday, February 9, 2022to discuss technical support the Russian Government can offer to improve the Wildlife and Tourism sector in South Sudan,” the statement read partly.

“The Ministry hereby informs the public that we are mindful of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to which the Republic of South Sudan is a party,” it added.

The Ministry, however, said that the Russian official expressed interest in exporting mainly two wildlife species, Shoebills and Giraffes. But this was not agreed to at the recent meeting.

“The Russian diplomat emphasizes Russian interest to import Shoebills and Giraffes from South Sudan to Russia which was earlier addressed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation before the accreditation of the Russian Ambassador to South Sudan.

“It’s this new development which was quoted out of context as an agreement between the two officials to export wildlife species to Russia,” the statement read.

“In light of the above explanation, the Ministry hereby renews its confidence and assurances to the people of South Sudan that the two officials did not sign any agreement as reported,” it continued.

South Sudan government has recently warned against illegal poaching amid proliferation and unlicensed ownership of firearms in the country.