Rest in peace, Abel
134 traffickers were arrested this year, almost 15 every month, by EAGLE Uganda team, led by one of its key members, Abel Ahabwe. It is with great sadness that we regret to announce the passing away of Abel.
On Sunday October 1st his motorbike collided with another in a fatal road accident in Kampala. He died in hospital shortly after. Vincent, the coordinator, was there at the last moments of Abel's life and the NRCN team is helping his family and one another at this hard time.
Abel has been one of our best activists and his bravery and conviction were shining through in each conversation and each operation. His exemplary courage inspired us to design an EAGLE courage award. The silver pin has been already designed and ordered. Tragically he will only receive it after his death.
He lived his life driven by commitment to fight wildlife crime and corruption. After finishing high school he spent 15 years serving in Uganda Army Forces, he joined EAGLE Uganda in 2015. Soon he became the head of the investigation department, leading the team from one arrest operation to another. He was able to combine his professionalism, experience and responsibility with passion and commitment in a unique way, bringing amazing results.
But it was not the results, which were making Abel a great man in the deepest meaning of the word. It was his character, his personality, which will be missed most of all. We lost a great environmental warrior, a patriot that was passionate about protecting its disappearing wildlife. We lost a dear friend, a member of our EAGLE Family.
Not a long time before another great man of us, Serge from Cameroon, led an operation to arrest a chimpanzee baby trafficker, and his surveillance vehicle got a serious accident just before the arrest. Exemplifying the EAGLE spirit, from the broken vehicle and full of blood his words to the team
were: "Arrest him for me!" Abel was also a person of this spirit. EAGLE Family will work hard to carry it further, to spread it around. In your honor, Abel, we will arrest them for you!
