Africa risks losing its 'invisible workforce' as donkey population plummets
Africa
By
Jael Musumba
| Jun 27, 2025
Leaders, scientists, and policymakers meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, have sounded the alarm over Africa’s rapidly declining donkey population, calling for urgent policy action to halt the mass slaughter of donkeys driven by global demand for their skins.
At the heart of the Second Pan-African Donkey Conference was a grim warning from the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR): if unregulated slaughter continues, the continent could lose a vital but often overlooked pillar of rural development.
AU-IBAR unveiled a landmark Pan-African Donkey Strategy aimed at reversing the alarming trend. The framework—set for validation on Friday—is expected to be presented to the AU technical committee and could reach the Assembly of Heads of State for endorsement in 2025.
“Donkeys are Africa’s invisible workforce. They sustain millions of rural livelihoods, yet remain absent in policy and development plans,” said Elynn Njeri, Animal Welfare Expert at AU-IBAR.
The main driver of the crisis is a rising global appetite for ejiao, a gelatin derived from donkey skins used in traditional Chinese medicine. In parts of Africa, this demand has triggered illegal slaughter, smuggling, and widespread theft, leaving entire communities without their only means to transport water, food, or goods.
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AU-IBAR data reveals that donkeys are being killed at rates that outpace natural reproduction, with their long gestation and low fertility making recovery impossible. Attempts to breed donkeys intensively for skins have failed both ethically and scientifically.
“This is no longer just an animal welfare concern—it’s a rural development crisis,” said Njeri. “The loss of donkeys will hit the most vulnerable—especially women and children—the hardest.”
The strategy urges African governments to integrate donkeys into national livestock development plans and adopt the AU’s 2024 moratorium on donkey skin exports. It also calls for stronger disease surveillance, biosecurity, humane donkey value chains, and harmonized cross-border policies to tackle smuggling.
The strategy was developed through wide consultation with AU member states, regional economic blocs, civil society, and international partners such as FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Some countries, like Kenya and Burkina Faso, have already banned donkey slaughter for skins. However, poor enforcement and weak border control continue to undermine progress.
“Some states have banned the trade, others have not. Smugglers exploit these inconsistencies,” said Njeri, calling for a continent-wide harmonized approach.
With ministers and veterinary officers expected to deliberate on next steps Friday, AU-IBAR is urging member states to act quickly.
“This is about more than animals. It’s about the future of rural Africa,” Njeri concluded.