The United States government has commended Somalia for the recent arrest and conviction of four people accused of engaging in trafficking of cheetahs.
Through the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, the US government applauded the traffickers’ conviction.
The US termed the arrest and subsequent conviction an “important milestone” in combating the rise of cheetah trafficking in the region.
Somaliland, and the entire Horn of Africa region, is a hotspot for cheetah trafficking.
Since last year, tens of cheetah cubs that were on the verge of being trafficked out of Somaliland have been rescued.
Somaliland is popular with individuals who use it as a route for trafficking cheetahs to the Middle East.
The US government has asked authorities in Somaliland – and Somalia – to join hands with the international community to protect the “vulnerable species.”