Kenya and Somalia Launch Joint Anti-Poaching Patrols Along Boni Forest Border
Kenyan and Somali rangers begin coordinated patrols in the Boni-Dodori forest complex to combat ivory smuggling and Al-Shabaab poaching networks, marking a rare environmental security win.
Green Uniforms, Shared Mission
BONI FOREST — For the first time since 2018, Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers and Somali National Army environmental units launched joint anti-poaching patrols along the 120-km Kenya-Somalia border on October 24, 2025. The operation targets elephant poachers and charcoal smugglers who fund Al-Shabaab.
Dubbed Operation Tembo-Simbad, the initiative deploys 60 rangers in mixed teams equipped with drones, night-vision gear, and GPS trackers. Patrols focus on the Boni Lungi forest corridor, a known route for ivory and rhino horn trafficking.
“Poachers don’t respect borders, and neither should we when protecting our wildlife,” said KWS Director General Dr. Erustus Kanga at the launch in Kiunga.
From Conflict to Conservation
The forest has long been a hideout for Al-Shabaab cells that finance operations through illegal charcoal and ivory trade—estimated at Sh2.5 billion annually. A 2024 UN report linked three major poaching syndicates to the terror group’s Gedo Region commander.
Somali rangers, trained by the African Wildlife Foundation in Garowe, bring local intelligence on clan-based smuggling networks. Kenyan teams provide aerial support via Cessna 208 surveillance aircraft.
“We lost two elephants last month. This partnership gives us hope,” said Hodan Farah, a Somali ranger from Ras Kamboni.
Small Steps, Big Impact
The patrols operate under a 90-day renewable mandate, with checkpoints at Hulugho and Mangai. Seized ivory and charcoal are destroyed publicly to deter traders.
Environmental NGOs welcomed the move, with WWF-Kenya pledging $500,000 for ranger equipment. The initiative sidesteps political tensions by framing cooperation as a shared ecological and security imperative.
As dusk fell on the first day, rangers dismantled a poacher’s camp and recovered 42 elephant tusks. For the forests of Boni, the sound of boots walking together—Kenyan and Somali—offered a rare note of harmony.
