UAE contributes towards Gabon’s wildlife preservation efforts

Abu Dhabi // The UAE has donated a dozen speedboats and a surveillance plane to Gabon to help with its recently expanded wildlife preservation efforts.

“We are very grateful toward the government and the people of the Emirates,” said Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Central African nation.

The donation comes on the heels of the World Park Congress, a global forum on protected areas that meets once every ten years, which took place earlier this month in Sydney. During the forum President Ondimba announced the decision to create a new marine protected area consisting of ten marine parks covering 23 per cent of Gabon’s territorial waters, more than 46,000 square kilometres.

“This significant donation of patrol ships will help our marine, coastguard and national park authorities to better patrol and protect our national coastal parks and our new network of marine parks,” said President Ondimba.

“It is an essential contribution not only to our efforts to stop pirate fishing boats from pillaging our marine resources, but will also help to reduce illegal immigration and strengthen our fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.”

The UAE presence at the World Park Congress as well as New York Forum Africa held in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, in May helped strengthen the countries’ cooperation and laid the ground work for the contribution.

The Gabon Minister of Defence, Ernest Mpouho Epigat, emphasized the importance of the radar and long-distance infrared vision equipped vehicles, in helping the Gabonese marines to protect the countries sovereignty.