Press Release

U.S. Sponsors Six Tanzanians to Participate in Wildlife Investigations Course

May 29, 2008

The U.S. Government is sponsoring six Tanzanian wildlife officials to pursue a two-week course on “Wildlife Investigations” at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Gaborone, Botswana. The U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) will lead the June 2-13, 2008, course.

According to a statement from the U.S. Mission, the specialized wildlife investigation course presents the proper planning methods and techniques for conducting a successful wildlife investigation for effective law enforcement.

During the course, the wildlife officials will be shown different types of surveillance techniques and equipment. They will learn techniques for crime scene processing and how to carry out interviews. Furthermore, they will learn about undercover operations and case report writing.

The six wildlife officials from Tanzania join other participants to the course from seven African countries, including Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and host Botswana.

Participants to this course have been selected from their current responsibilities which include among others, enforcing endangered species laws, carrying out anti-poaching, wildlife law enforcement, investigations and undercover operations. These officials are expected to implement the training received at ILEA in their home units and share what they have learned with others upon their return to duty.

Tanzanian participants are Game Warden, Humprey Ntuku; Game Warden, Majid Laru; Game Warden, Musiba Kombo; Park Warden, Ismail A. Ismail; Park Warden, Marco Meoli and Assistant Conservator, Bryson Mkonyi.

ILEA Gaborone was established by the United States Government, in partnership with the government of Botswana, to promote international cooperation against crime. The ILEA in Gaborone follows the model of ILEAs that operate successfully in Hungary and Thailand. The academy offers specialized courses for police and other criminal justice officials to enhance their capacity to work with U.S. and regional officials to combat international crime. These courses concentrate on specific methods and techniques in areas such as counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, financial crime, border security, drug enforcement, firearms, and many others.

Since 2002, Tanzanian police and other officers have attended ILEA courses in illegal migration, public corruption, customs interdiction and firearms and explosives training, wildlife investigations, criminal investigation course, personnel facility security, the law enforcement executive development program, land border interdiction and advanced management courses.

Financial support for this course comes from the American people and is part of overall U.S. Government direct and multilateral assistance to Tanzania of more than half a billion U.S. Dollars (over 750 billion Tanzanian shillings) in 2008. For further information on other activities, please visit us at http://tanzania.usembassy.gov.