THE PROGRESSION OF BIODIVERSITY PRESERVATION AND LEGAL EFFECTS ON THE PROTECTION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Abstract

The study explores the trajectory of biodiversity conservation and the efficacy of conservation laws concerning elephants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It aims to analyze the protection mechanisms for DRC's elephants and assess the associated risks to their conservation. Some protected areas conduct regular inventories, evidenced by the availability of inventory results. However, certain protected areas face challenges due to the presence of armed groups, hindering and dissuading efforts to finance inventory work despite containing elephant populations.

In the DRC, strict adherence to conservation laws proves challenging, despite their existence in national legislation. Workshops for ivory processing and sale are openly visible, even within urban areas like Kinshasa, with little intervention from authorities. The weakness of the Congolese State fosters impunity by overlooking enforcement of conservation laws and contributes to a lack of security in protected areas, exacerbating poaching activities