The Ugandan government has apologised to China after the latter rejected allegations that two of its diplomats working in Uganda were involved in the trafficking of ivory, local, Daily Monitor reports.
Early this month, the media reported that the country’s President Yoweri Museveni ordered a probe into possible collusion between Uganda’s wildlife agency and the Chinese diplomats after about 1,300 kilogrammes of ivory disappeared from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) stores; this is according to the report.
But China dismissed reports of the allegations as “totally unfounded”.
The country’s foreign affairs ministry issued a statement saying that the ministry regrets the negative impact this incident may have caused to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China after two of the suspects were named as Chinese diplomats.
“Reference is made to recent local and international media reports quoting a leaked letter from H.E the President asking the Inspector General of Government to investigate the alleged “collaboration by some Uganda Wildlife Authority officials with some Chinese by the names of Li Wejin and Yinzhi who are diplomats in the Embassy to export ivory”, among other issues,” read a statement issued by the ministry’s permanent secretary Patrick S. Mugoya, the report said.
The ministry after a thorough review confirmed both Mr Li Wejin and Yinzhi are not accredited diplomats with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Uganda.
“China and Uganda continue to enjoy very cordial relations. The Government of Uganda reiterates its commitment to strengthening further the relations and bonds of friendship that exist between our two countries,” the report quotes Mugoya say.
China announced a ban on ivory, a move that was hailed as a “game changer” for Africa’s endangered elephant.
