What is your mission in Africa?

African countries are often the source of elephant ivory, rhino horn, pangolin and illegally taken wildlife destined for markets in Asia and the US. The Obama administration is particularly concerned about the rise in cases of wildlife trafficking from Africa to Asia, Europe and the US.

Criminal elements, including insurgent groups are involved in poaching and transporting ivory and rhino horns across Africa.

In each of the three countries I will be visiting — Gabon, Kenya and South Africa — I will hold meetings with top government officials and nongovernmental organisations that are active in wildlife conservation.

What were the criteria for picking the three countries for your African tour?

First, it is important to note that they are not the only African countries facing the challenge of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products.

Many countries are affected. The choice of the three countries was based on my availability, the amount of time I can devote to this project, and being able to sample examples from different parts of the continent that would help illustrate the challenges we face.

The three countries are also among those where active efforts to deal with poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products are in place. This makes it easier to gauge what’s working, and in turn help to make the case to support such efforts across the continent.

Gabon, for example, has ambitious innovative initiatives — Gabon Bleu and Gabon Vert — that deal with the preservation of species both on land and in the sea.

I have met the officials behind the initiatives on several occasions, including the president of Gabon here in the US, and held talks about these efforts. So in part, my visit is to appreciate these efforts, to learn from them and to share the knowledge. South Africa, on the other hand, is very active with us. We added the country because of the significant challenges it faces with rhinos.

As for Kenya, we’ve worked closely in the past. I met Kenyan and Gabon officials at the COP21 climate talks in Paris in December, and I have established a relationship with their ministers.

Which particular areas will you visit in the three countries?

In Gabon, I’ll be touring the Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve, which is home to forest elephants and gorillas. Being on the coast, marine conservation is also taking place there. In Kenya, I’ll be visiting the port of Mombasa, a critical transit route for wildlife trophies. We will also visit the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, where we will look at efforts on the ground and how our co-operation with Kenya is working.

In South Africa, we’ll be touring Kruger National Park, including a wildlife crime scene there. We shall also visit a veterinary services centre to observe animals in holding, and review rhino poaching.

Zimbabwe government officials and tourism operators have recently complained about the ban on importation of lion and elephant trophies. What was the rationale behind this move?

The United States Wildlife and Fisheries Services covers the importation of wildlife trophies. We are careful that when we allow this, we work with countries to ensure that the proceeds from the sale of such products go into community service.

We do not allow the importation of these trophies from Zimbabwe because we believe that the country does not have the capacity to direct the proceeds to the recommended use. We also do not believe that Zimbabwe has put in place sufficient measures for local communities to participate in conservation efforts. It is crucial that a country works with us and with local communities to ensure that the resources get to the people.

We have worked closely with the government of Zimbabwe for almost two years to clarify their management structure and assist them in developing conservation plans for elephant. We hope that we can come to the point where Zimbabwe have a demonstrable conservation programme in place that would permit us to allow elephant trophy imports.

The lion has just been listed, and the issue of showing that there is a conservation benefit for lions in the wild would apply to any country from which American hunters try to import lion trophies.

You talk about the US working with African counties to stop the illegal wildlife trade in the American black market, but countries like Kenya are facing devastating levels of poaching and trafficking with the key markets being China and Vietnam. Have you engaged these Asian countries to stop this flow?

In my high level meetings with the prime minister of Vietnam and the deputy premier of China, there was a willingness and desire to work with the US to stem this problem. In his recent visit to the US, the Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a near total ban on the trade of ivory and they are working towards implementing it. The US has done the same. The meetings were successful and we are moving forward together to implement the issue and sharing technical assistance.

What kind of aid and resources will be available to these African countries to help stop wildlife trafficking?

In 2015, we gave about $18 million to Africa in the form of grants and assistance. It comprised everything from night vision goggles to forensic laboratories so that they can do the analysis needed to bring people to justice. It is working on the ground with the agencies.

In Gabon, we’ve provided technical assistance that has helped transform their equivalent of our National Park Service from an interpretive and wildlife management agency of sorts into a law enforcement agency. We’re also providing technical assistance and have exchange programmes. In short, we are learning from each other by sharing best practices, expertise, equipment and knowledge.