HITMEN KILL LEADING CONSERVATIONIST IN DAR ES SALAAM
(Posted 18th August 2017)
More details have become available since the news were broken here about the shooting of conservationist Wayne Lotter of PAMS yesterday afternoon.
https://atcnews.org/2017/08/17/wayne-lotter-of-pams-tanzania-rip/
It has transpired that while coming from the airport the car he was travelling in was blocked by another vehicle from which two men emerged who opened the car doors and immediately shot him in cold blood before making off with his laptop.
The Guardian too has now picked up the story, accessible through the following link: https: //www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/17/leading-elephant-conservationist-ivory-shot-dead-in-tanzania
None of the local Tanzanian media has as yet filed any story about what clearly looks like an assassination given the Guardian’s assertion that Wayne had received numerous death threats in the past related to his work.
In a twist of irony though did Tanzania’s Daily News only yesterday write about the progress made in anti poaching operations, even quoting the late Wayne Lotter and concluding that ‘there should be no turning back in the fight against poaching!‘
http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/features/52427-great-achievement-made-as-poaching-drops
Several conservationists in regular contact with this correspondent have since the news about the shooting broke expressed their fears and worries that others too could be on a hitlist, should the killers be able to retrieve information from the stolen laptop.
The killing reminds of the attempt on the life of Emmanuel de Merode in April 2014 when he was gunned down in his vehicle as he returned with important documents after making a report to the local prosecutor’s office. De Merode survived but took months to recover at the time.
Once the Tanzania police issues a statement on the progress of their investigations a further update will be provided here.
