CITES UNFILTERED: The Battle for Africa’s Voice and International Trade in Wildlife

This week (Tuesday 02 December 2025) On The Conservation Conversation , we take you inside CITES CoP20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for an unfiltered look at one of the most dramatic weeks in global wildlife governance.From elephants to eels, sharks to hyenas, ivory debates to taxonomy battles, Africa’s voice is being tested on the world stage.And we’re bringing you the leaders at the heart of it.Join Rumbie Takawira as she hosts:🇿🇼 Ambassador Tadeous ChifambaPermanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate & Wildlife (Zimbabwe)🇰🇪 Dr Patrick OmondiDirector-General, Wildlife Research & Training Institute (Kenya)🇿🇦 Mr Narend SinghDeputy Minister, Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries & Environment (South Africa)Together, we unpack: • why Africa is divided over elephant nomenclature, • what the ivory and rhino horn votes really mean, • the politics behind giraffe, eel and hyena proposals, • and how international wildlife trade decisions impact communities.