With just four days to go, anticipation is building across the continent ahead of the Second Pan-African Donkey Conference (PADCo-2), set to take place from June 26 to 27, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Hotel Conference Centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Themed “Africa’s Commitment in Policy and Practice to Donkey Preservation Now and in the Future,” the high-level summit will bring together policymakers, animal welfare champions, and continental leaders in a unified call to protect one of Africa’s most critically threatened animals—the donkey.
The conference, organized by the African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in collaboration with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, ICWE, FAO, WOAH, and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), will focus on developing a coordinated continental strategy for sustainable donkey management. Leaders will also tackle the booming donkey skin trade, which has decimated populations across Africa due to the rising demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese product.
Among the expected outcomes is a firm review of the African Union’s moratorium on donkey slaughter, first adopted to stem the rampant cross-border trafficking and unregulated slaughter practices. Delegates are also expected to reaffirm commitments to improve donkey welfare, strengthen national policies, and protect rural communities whose livelihoods rely heavily on these animals.
PADCo-2 is being touted as a make-or-break moment for the continent’s collective response to a crisis that threatens not just donkeys but the economic and social fabric of countless African households. As the clock ticks toward the conference’s opening, Abidjan is set to become the epicenter of Africa’s boldest statement yet on animal welfare and sustainable preservation.
