SPANA is delighted that the African Union’s historic commitment to banning the horrific donkey skin trade has taken a significant step towards becoming a reality, with an African Union letter to Member States calling for action. This ban follows years of campaigning by SPANA and other stakeholders.
The trade in donkey skins has had a devastating effect on communities across the continent, so in February this year, members of the African Union Assembly agreed to adopt an Africa-wide ban. In a recent letter to African Union Member States, Her Excellency Josefa L.C. Sacko, The African Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, called for all Member States and Regional Economic Communities to support and prioritise the ban, and to integrate donkey welfare into their national plans.
As a member of the International Coalition for Working Equids (ICWE) – which also includes Brooke, The Donkey Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare – SPANA welcomes the content and urgency of the letter. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the ban is passed into law and successfully enforced by each country’s government across Africa.
