GALF

Guinea is a major hub for wildlife trafficking internationally. Apes, ivory, skins, birds, shark fins are thus illegally exported by organized criminal networks.
In order to address this problem, the GALF Project (Guinée-Application de la Loi Faunique), was launched in February 2012 by the NGO WARA.  It works closely with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEEF), the Ministry of State for Justice, the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL and other government agencies to establish and strengthen the enforcement of wildlife law. Three focal points appointed by the Ministries are working with GALF every day.
Guinea is a complex, politically unstable country with law not being enforced, deeply rooted in the mass of corruption, injustice, impunity, bad governance and violent dictatorship. As the situation seemed unlikely, conservation organizations established in Guinea thought the launch of GALF was a lost battle, because starting to apply the law in a country with one of the highest levels of corruption in the world, where justice is historically failing, presented a huge challenge.
Yet years later, the reality is that GALF has initiated a significant change in the country, many traffickers have been arrested and convicted, some of them being of international importance. Over 20 chimpanzees have been rescued.
GALF´s team of 10 people is currently managed by Mamadou Saidou Barry, the coordinator, and Charlotte Houpline, the director.