Donkey Skin Trade Ban Enforcement Crisis in Africa
Recent Developments
012024: African Union heads of state adopted a continent-wide moratorium on the slaughter and export of donkeys for their skins.
0226 May 2025: AU-IBAR called for immediate action on donkey welfare at the WOAH General Session and said donkey populations are facing a critical decline driven by the skin trade.
0310 June 2025: Chad’s Ministry of Animal Resources issued an inter-ministerial decree banning donkey slaughter, export, and related products.
042025: The Donkey Sanctuary reported that illegal and underground trade persists where bans are weakly enforced, including bush slaughter, theft, and cross-border trafficking.
Interventions
- African Union moratorium on the slaughter and export of donkeys for their skins, adopted in 2024.
- AU-IBAR development of a Pan-African Strategy for the Preservation, Welfare, and Sustainable Utilization of Donkeys in Africa.
- National bans and decrees in some countries, including Chad’s 2025 inter-ministerial ban on slaughter and export.
- Advocacy and technical support from organizations such as AU-IBAR, The Donkey Sanctuary, Brooke, and allied animal welfare groups.
What Works
- Clear legal bans paired with active enforcement, including checkpoints, border monitoring, and prosecution of illegal slaughter and export.
- Integrating donkey welfare into national agricultural and veterinary plans, as urged by the African Union Commissioner, to support coordination and resource allocation.
- Continent-wide policy alignment under the AU moratorium, because fragmented national rules create loopholes for cross-border trafficking.
- Protection of donkeys as working animals through humane handling and welfare standards, which AU-IBAR identifies as central to sustainable development.
How to Help
- Donate to organizations working on donkey welfare and anti-trafficking enforcement, such as The Donkey Sanctuary, Brooke, and AU-linked welfare initiatives.
- Support local animal welfare and veterinary monitoring networks that help report theft, illegal slaughter, and cross-border movement.
- Advocate for stronger national implementation of the AU moratorium through representatives, ministries, and regional bodies.
Make an Impact
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Verified Organizations
Organizations Helping(5)
PETA engages on this issue through international campaigning against the donkey-skin trade and by urging African Union member states to enforce the ban. Its role is primarily public advocacy and pressure on governments and industry to stop the trade that drives mass slaughter.
The Donkey Sanctuary tackles this crisis through its 'Stop the Slaughter' campaign, direct advocacy for implementation of the African Union moratorium, and collaboration with African and global partners. It attends regional policy meetings, pushes for stronger national enforcement of bans, and uses research and public campaigning to pressure governments to end the donkey skin trade.
AU-IBAR addresses the crisis through continental policy leadership: it helped support the Pan-African Strategy for the Preservation, Welfare and Sustainable Use of Donkeys in Africa, convenes member states, promotes harmonized legislation, and calls for stronger enforcement against illegal slaughter and trafficking. It also emphasizes research, monitoring, awareness, and partnerships to protect donkeys as essential rural assets.
World Horse Welfare works on this issue by supporting the Pan-African Donkey Conference and the African Union moratorium implementation effort, while coordinating through the International Coalition for Working Equids. It advocates for an end to the inhumane donkey skin trade and for stronger national action, aligned legislation, and improved welfare standards for working donkeys.
