War on Wildlife Crime

Wildlife crime has been highlighted on the international security agenda due to its link with Central and East African militia groups. The increased demand for ivory in Asia has opened a market for transnational organised criminal networks to engage in ivory poaching. They pay local militia groups to obtain illegal ivory, which helps sustain these groups, and thus the insecurity of the region. This analysis applies the theory of Securitisation on the illegal ivory trade, and provides a possible theoretical framework on how to deal with the militia groups. It evaluates whether this approach could be the proper method in removing not only the regional security threat, but also the threat of extinction which the African elephant is facing. This analysis should help shed some light on the illegal ivory trade and its relevance to the international security agenda. This reading would be in particular for professionals in the fields of security and politics, but also for anyone in the fields of conservation and development, who shares an interest in securing the future of the African elephant.