The Republic of Angola has joined the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats, also known as the Gorilla Agreement. Angola is the eighth of ten Range States in which gorillas occur to become a Party to the Agreement, joining the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda. The accession of Angola to the Gorilla Agreement took effect on 1 January 2021.
The Gorilla Agreement, a legally binding instrument in force since 2008, was concluded under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). The objective of the Gorilla Agreement is that Parties take measures to conserve all populations of gorilla.
Both species of gorilla, the Western and Eastern gorilla, are covered by the Agreement. Each has two subspecies, namely the Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), Cross River gorilla (G. g. diehli), Mountain gorilla (G. beringei beringei) and Eastern lowland gorilla (G. b. graueri). Angola is a Range State of the Western lowland gorilla.
The main threats to gorillas are habitat degradation, hunting and poaching. Many gorilla populations are transboundary, and therefore much of the success of conservation efforts depends on transnational cooperation and coordination.
“In the face of climate change and the expansion of infrastructure development and extractive industries, CMS activities in Africa are becoming increasingly important for safeguarding migratory routes and interconnected habitats of wild animals,” says Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of CMS, “the accession of Angola will greatly contribute to improving the coordinated and concerted actions to be taken by the Range State Parties throughout the transboundary range of the four gorilla subspecies,” she added.
Parties to the Gorilla Agreement have committed themselves to work closely with the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), since the priorities of GRASP resemble the obligations set by the Gorilla Agreement. In this spirit and to foster efficiency, Parties to the Gorilla Agreement are encouraged to strengthen coordination among their relevant national authorities and appoint the same national focal points for the Gorilla Agreement and GRASP. The collaboration of the Gorilla Agreement and GRASP further covers joint outreach and fundraising activities and the development of joint activities relevant to gorilla conservation.
