A river flowing through the forest.
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Liberia and Sierra Leone Reaffirm Commitment for the Conservation and Shared Management of Gola Forest

Feb 24, 2020
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By Chaz Kyser   Building on the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia’s commitment to protect the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape, officials representing the two West African countries gathered on February 18 at Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia to sign amendments to their current memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the conservation of this…

A group of people sitting in a room,
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Mano River Union Member States Endorse Institution’s Five-Year Strategic Plan

Feb 14, 2020
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By Fatmata Katta   Delegates representing the four Mano River Union (MRU) countries—Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire—endorsed the sub-regional body’s five-year (2020–2025) Strategic Plan and Action Plan after a two-day deliberation to critically review both documents Feb. 4–5 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The MRU is a core regional partner of WA BiCC. Its…

Three men and a woman signing documents.
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Guinea and Liberia Forge Historic Partnership for the Conservation of the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi Forest Landscape

Dec 03, 2019
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The Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi (ZWW) forest complex, shared by Guinea and Liberia, is home to more than 25% of Africa’s mammals. Nearly 90% of its native vegetation has been lost, however, because of unsustainable human activities. To sustainably manage this globally unique refuge of plant and animal biodiversity and essential ecosystem services such as water, the governments…

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Trophy hunt ends in victory for Guinea’s forest elephants

Oct 18, 2019
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Trophy hunting. It’s one of the most emotive and divisive issues in conservation today, but Fauna & Flora International (FFI) had no hesitation in endorsing a trophy hunt with a difference earlier this month that saw a number of teams go toe to toe in the heart of the West African rainforest in a bid…

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Shedding new light on West Africa’s birds and butterflies

Oct 18, 2019
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Home to some of West Africa’s most charismatic and endangered wildlife, Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi Transboundary Forest Landscape also harbours numerous other biological riches. How do you identify a soaring scavenger from its flight silhouette, or pinpoint which species of swallowtail has just fluttered by on gossamer wings? These were among the challenges facing the survey teams as…

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Mano River Union: Strategic Plan Review Moving Forward

Sep 09, 2019
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In keeping with its mandate to promote peace, food security, and economic development, the Mano River Union (MRU) Secretariat is reviewing one of its key policy instruments, a five-year strategic plan for its member states. The review and revision of the plan reflects the Secretariat’s commitment to ensuring stability and accelerating the economic growth of…

A group of people posing for a photograph.
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Building Global Expertise: Celebrating the Successes of the ‘CITES Master’s Program’

Sep 01, 2019
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“The world needs a dedicated network of experienced, knowledgeable and educated people to share their diverse views and negotiation skills to bring about positive outcomes for the world and for conservation” remarked Pamela Scruggs of the US Fish and Wildlife Service during a CITES CoP 18 side-event celebrating the success of the CITES Master’s degree…