A South Sudanese is facing a jail term in Uganda for allegedly attempting to smuggle prohibited wildlife products through the Entebbe International Airport.
Ahmad Abdelmonim Altigani Ahmed has been sentenced by the Ugandan court to serve five years in prison unless he settles the monetary fine of 140 million Ugandan Shillings, equivalent to USD 37,000.
This court ruling came after Altigan Ahmed was found guilty of trying to illegally ferry 436 pieces of elephant tusks through Entebbe International Airport.
The ivories in his possession were reportedly camouflaged as wood samples.
The convict is now facing bars.
Upon the completion of his sentence or if he succeeds to pay the legal penalties in Uganda, Ahmed will be deported back to South Sudan.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), which led the investigation, stated that the conviction underscores its “zero tolerance” policy toward illegal wildlife trafficking and trade.
“We are determined to combat wildlife crime in all its forms,” the Uganda Wildlife Authority maintained.
Uganda, situated at the heart of the East African wildlife corridor, is often used as a transit point for traffickers moving ivory from Central Africa to international markets, particularly in Asia.
Due to that, the Entebbe International Airport has become a key checkpoint in regional enforcement efforts.
The arrest of the South Sudanese suspect, adds to a string of cases highlighting the scale of ivory trafficking in Uganda.
In recent years, authorities have intercepted significant hauls, including a 2017 seizure of one ton of ivory.
A 2014 probe revealed that 1.35 metric tons of ivory had vanished from government stockpiles, raising concerns about corruption and weak oversight.
Conservationists estimate that Africa has lost over 60 percent of its elephant population in the past decade due to poaching. Uganda’s wildlife laws have since been tightened, and courts are increasingly handing down harsher penalties to deter traffickers.
The Wildlife Court in Kampala has become a model in the region for prosecuting environmental offenses.