“With the receipt of Russian small arms, the Gabon Republic plans to strengthen the units responsible for combating the poaching threat,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement to RT.
It is noted that Gabon is implementing a program for the protection of rare animals - primarily forest elephants.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the proceeds from the sale of ivory, in most cases, go to finance the activities of criminal organizations in the region.
In January 2019, an attempted armed coup took place in Gabon.