Historic turn in Africa: the end of donkey slaughter for skin

Historic decision for the welfare of donkeys in Africa: the African Union has agreed to ban the slaughter of these animals and the trade of their skin, a barbaric business

Africa is set to ban the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of donkeys for their skin, a trade that involves unimaginable mistreatment and extreme suffering for these sensitive animals.

The decision was made by the leaders of the continent’s nations gathered in Ethiopia on February 18th for the African Union summit. This landmark decision will protect 33 million donkeys across Africa.

African heads of state have decided to ensure greater protection for the continent’s equids, preventing their brutal killing for their skins, thus dealing a severe blow to a market of abuse and pain.

Every year, at least 5 million donkeys are bred, killed in the most inhumane ways in the slaughterhouses of African cities, and skinned for their hide, from which ejiao, the collagen or “donkey gelatin” used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine, is extracted.

The increase in demand from China has led to a rise in the number of donkeys stolen from villages, exploited at every stage, and slaughtered illegally. This has severely threatened African donkeys.

Banning their slaughter is an unprecedented choice and sends a strong message, hopefully to be followed by other countries around the world.

The Donkey Sanctuary, an international organization for the protection and rescue of donkeys, expressed extreme satisfaction with this step. However, there is now a need to move from words to action and promote interventions to support African communities.

This pivotal moment is just the beginning: this decision needs to be implemented and enforced by every country in the African Union:

“We will work closely with our colleagues and partners throughout Africa to provide all possible support and resources to ensure that this commitment to banning the slaughter of donkeys for their skin becomes a reality across Africa,” said Otieno Mtula from The Donkey Sanctuary.

As Mtula and the entire team have highlighted, “it’s the beginning of a new era for the welfare of donkeys.”

Source: The Donkey Sanctuary