The arrest was the work of the anti-poaching unit of the Jua Ikié Tala Tala Forest Concessions located in TRIDOM Congo Interzone (ETIC). The poacher has been transferred on October 14th to Ouesso for judgement by the court, following 4 ivory tusks found in his possession. The tusks are between 50 and 98 cm length (2.5 kg and 5 kg).

According to the statement the alleged offender, Hugues Dila, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for elephant poaching in the past (in Odzala Kokoua NP) but never served his sentence as he escaped from prison ( a common occurrence in Ouesso).

In addition the same source recalled that on November 14, 2013, this ivory poacher had shot an elephant with an AK47, and remained unpunished.

’’ We welcome the efforts made by the USLAB and hope the judge creates a wildlife jurisprudence for this case in Ouesso court by applying the law to its full extent, and that the acts committed by DILA Hugues and his gang are punished to serve as an example for other poachers causing damage to nature ’
The elephant is a fully protected species under Congolese law (Law number 37/2008 on wildlife and protected areas). The alleged poacher Hugues Dila risks a maximum penalty 5 years imprisonment and heavy fines, estimated at several million francs CFA.

The Ministry of Forest Economy of Republic of Congo and the WWF run a joint program to tackle widlife crime in the remote TRIDOM Congo interzone. This zone borders three national Parks : Odzala Kokoua NP in RoC, Nki NP in Cameroon and Minkebe NP in Gabon. The TRIDOM landscape is an African hotspot of ivory poaching and only dissuasive punishment (firm multi-year prison sentences that are fully served) has the potential to stop the poaching crisis. Arrests for elephant poaching in TRIDOM are frequent, but adequate sanctions are often lacking.