Chad ends 15-year African Parks management of Ennedi and Zakouma

Chad has terminated a 15 year management mandate held by African Parks to oversee two major protected areas, the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, informing the conservation group on Monday that the government no longer wanted it to run the sites. The environment ministry said the decision followed what it described as a resurgence in poaching, insufficient investment in park infrastructure and operations, and what Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous called a "recurring indelicate and disrespectful attitude" toward the Chadian government.

In its response, African Parks said it had been notified by official letter and that it has opened talks with the ministry "to understand the government's position and to explore the best possible way forward in support of the continued protection of these critical conservation landscapes." The move ends a partnership that began in 2009 and had tasked the nonprofit with directing anti-poaching work and restoring wildlife populations, including elephants, in southeastern and northeastern Chad.

African Parks points to measurable gains at Zakouma National Park during its stewardship, reporting that the park's...