Strengthening Wildlife Protection in Guinea, One Storeroom at a Time

Protecting elephants doesn’t only happen in the forest; it also happens in storerooms and training workshops, where much of the behind-the-scenes work takes place. Over the past week, the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPIF) and the Government of Guinea collaborated in executing a major step forward in the fight against environmental crime by strengthening the professionalisation of the country's management of its stock of wildlife products. 

Park manager and ecoguard using the SMS to document weighed wildlife products as part of the Central Storeroom Inventory, Conakry, 28 January 2026

Guinea’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), through the National Forests and Wildlife Directorate (DNFF), convened a four-day training workshop for park managers, ecoguards, and customs authorities. Organised in collaboration with NGO partner Cabinet of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development Studies (CIEDD), and supported by the EPIF, the workshop focused on strengthening procedures for the management of confiscated wildlife products. The workshop was held under the project “Developing Gold Standards for the Management of Ivory and Other Wildlife Products in Africa”, implemented by the EPIF and funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund (IWTCF).

At the opening of the training, EPIF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Guinea in meeting the obligations it undertook when it joined the Elephant Protection Initiative - particularly the secure management of its ivory and other wildlife product stockpiles, so that Guinea is aligned with the most rigorous international standards.

Central Storeroom Inventory, Conakry, 28 January 2026

The EPIF’s Director of State Engagement, Ulysse Korogone, highlighted a key mindshift introduced by the training, where stockpile management ceases to be a routine administrative task and becomes a powerful decision-making tool. With improved procedures, real-time visibility, and accurate inventories, the authorities can prevent leakage, re-trafficking, and illegal re-entry of seized wildlife products into markets. This should have positive benefits for wildlife conservation, not just in Guinea, but throughout the sub-region. 

Stockpile Management System Training, Conakry, 27 January 2026

The government’s objectives are ambitious. They include maintaining the moratorium on the ivory trade, closing domestic ivory markets, and securing wildlife products. Ibrahima Ciré Cisse, the National Director of Forests and Wildlife, said that rigorous storage and inventory management are a cornerstone of wildlife protection and law enforcement in Guinea.

MEDD Secretary General Dr Karim Samoura and Ulysse Korogone, EPIF's Director of State Engagement, Conakry 26 January 2026

The workshop also reinforced Guinea’s engagement with CITES. According to MEDD Secretary-General Dr Karim Samoura, EPIF’s support has helped to consolidate regulatory tools, introduce computerised systems, and strengthen staff capacity for data collection and monitoring, which are essential steps toward lifting Guinea’s current suspension at the CITES level. This hands-on training signals a growing national momentum to protect wildlife through accountability, transparency, and strong institutions. The EPIF remains committed to standing alongside Guinea as it turns policy into practice in an effort to safeguard elephants in West Africa for generations to come.