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Ambassador Marquardt Visits Lobeke National Park

Ambassador R. Niels Marquardt received by an enthusiastic population of Ba'aka villagers. Full size.

Ambassador R. Niels Marquardt made a successful trip to Cameroon's East Province, from June 3 through 8, with the Minister of Flora and Fauna Egbe Achou Hillman and Member of Parliament Joseph Roland Matta. The delegation toured two national parks, Lobeke and Boumba-Bek, and met with local representatives from both civil society and the government. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and local government officials told Ambassador Marquardt that illegal logging, corruption, illegal arms trafficking and the bush-meat trade constitute the primary threats to conservation efforts in the region. One of the Ambassador's main themes was to stress that a successful conservation plan must benefit the local community. The Minister urged communities to take responsibility for their own future and not wait for outside intervention. The trip was a good opportunity for both the Ambassador and the Minister to see for themselves the situation in the region and to hear local concerns first hand. (Photo Gallery)