Translated from the French by an automated online translation service, so please excuse the roughness. See link for the French original.
See link for photo & audio of article (in French).
During his appearance on “Le Canapé Rouge” by Gabon Media Time on Monday, September 28, Arthur Benga Ndjeme, doctor of public law, spoke about the human-wildlife conflict. To this end, this lawyer and teacher at Omar Bongo University (UOB) said about this problem that crystallizes opinion, that it could find its epilogue through “the construction by the government of great walls to protect elephant populations”.
For several years, the government has been banking on the thorny issue of the human-wildlife conflict without really finding lasting solutions. This conflict which plagues the interior of the country has already caused much damage, including loss of human life. Thus, after proposal by the Minister of Water and Forests to create a Compensation and Solidarity Fund in order to compensate the many victims identified in recent months, an umpteenth solution was proposed by an academic.
Indeed, Dr. Arthur Benga Ndjeme, for his part, proposed a solution to this human-wildlife conflict which has caused too many victims. “So that the animals which are in certain areas cannot mix with the populations, cannot disrupt the normal functioning of societies, there are barriers that are made. Why should Gabon not make the great walls into national parks?”, did he declare.
An additional solution to that proposed by the Minister of Water and Forests, Prof. Lee White. For Dr. Arthur Benga Ndjeme, “rather than building electrical barriers or other salvaged materials, let’s do a work of Gabonese genius, a lasting work like the great walls of China by building great walls of national parks”, he added.
The solution would thus make it possible to delimit incursions into certain areas for both animals and humans and would promote so-called fair protection and not for one party to the detriment of the other. We can bet that the government, which is committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment, launches initiatives that do not harm anyone in this conflict which has lasted too long.