ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire- Leaders, policymakers, and experts from across Africa convened in Abidjan on Thursday for the Second Pan-African Donkey Conference, a high-level meeting aimed at addressing the urgent need to protect and preserve the continent’s donkey population.
The gathering comes amid growing concern over the exploitation of donkeys, particularly for the skin trade, and their continued exclusion from national livestock policies despite their critical role in rural economies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, delivered a passionate address, describing the donkey as a “symbol of resilience” and a silent witness to Africa’s journey through time.
From carrying prophets and kings to transporting grain and water, Vilakati said the donkey has long sustained life in communities where other infrastructure fails.
“We invest little to nothing in their care, yet we’re quick to profit from their death. That must change,” Vilakati told the delegates.
The Commissioner condemned the booming trade in donkey skins, which has seen the animals slaughtered in alarming numbers to meet demand for traditional medicine products abroad.
He noted that while donkeys remain excluded from many livestock policies, research funding, and veterinary services, their role in powering rural livelihoods is undeniable.
But there is hope. Since the AU’s 2022 declaration on donkey preservation, several African countries have taken bold steps to protect the species.
Vilakati praised nations such as Kenya, Botswana, Uganda, and Senegal for banning or regulating the slaughter of donkeys, while commending others that have never allowed it in the first place.
He also announced the near-completion of a new continental framework—the Pan-African Strategy for the Preservation, Welfare and Sustainable Utilization of Donkeys—developed by Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
The strategy, which has been shaped through months of consultations with governments, researchers, welfare organizations, and farmers, will be validated at this meeting before being presented to AU policy organs later this year.
Vilakati called on governments to ensure donkeys are no longer invisible in budgets and policies, to strengthen enforcement against illegal slaughter, and to invest in sustainable breeding and ethical value chains.
He challenged participants to rethink how data, science, and community knowledge can come together to build systems that protect the donkey—not as an afterthought, but as a priority.
Over the next two days, delegates will deliberate on the threats donkeys face, the progress made since Dar es Salaam, and the way forward.
The conference brought together senior government officials from across Africa, members of continental and regional parliaments, and representatives from key international organizations.
Also in attendance were delegates from the African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, and civil society groups, including donkey welfare associations.
Africa is home to approximately 13.04 million donkeys, making them the second most populous working animal on the continent, with Chad alone accounting for over 31% of this population.
Despite their vital role in rural economies, only 25 out of 56 African countries provided data on donkey populations, highlighting a critical gap in information and planning.
The continent has 11,120 veterinary doctors and 20,290 paraprofessionals, but their distribution is uneven, with rural areas heavily reliant on paraprofessionals, who make up nearly 79% of veterinary personnel in those regions.
Diseases such as tetanus, African Horse Sickness, anthrax, and wounds are identified as top threats to donkey health, reported by up to 18.75% of responding countries.
Worryingly, several countries, including Cameroon and Sierra Leone, report having no veterinary doctors or paraprofessionals at all, raising serious concerns about animal health infrastructure.
