EU Advocates for The Slaughter of Rhinos

Neo-colonial conservation politics are helping drive a species to extinction

In a decision that will be remembered as one of the greatest failures of modern conservation, the European Union has once again chosen to block Namibia’s proposal to regulate rhino horn trade under the CITES convention.

Behind the technical language and diplomatic phrasing lies a devastating truth: the EU’s decision strengthens illegal trade, protects the profits of criminal syndicates, and pushes Africa’s rhinos closer to extinction. This is not conservation. It’s hypocrisy.

Africa Is Fighting Alone

In 1950, Africa was home to more than 100,000 rhinos. Today, fewer than 20,000 remain. Over 80,000 have been lost to illegal poaching and black-market horn trafficking, driven by international criminal networks.