Stakeholders met in Yaounde on Febraury 2, 2016, to evaluate activities of the programme.

Curtains have dropped on the pilot implementation of the DNA traceability system for Prunus africana in Prunus allocation units in Cameroon. Stakeholders of the prgramme under the implementation agency of the National Forestry Development Agency, ANAFOR, with the supervision of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife met in Yaounde on February 2, 2016, to end activities of the programme. Deliberations were chaired by the Inspector General in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Pierre Obam Obam with the Director General of ANAFOR, Bekolo Bekolo participating. Exposées focused on the problems of managing Prunus africana in Cameroon, the activities of the scientific authority, field experience: the case of Cameroon, the management of Prunus africana in Mount Cameroon, the International Tropical Timber Organisation and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (OIBT:CITES) programme, the presentation of activity report of the traceability of Prunus africana and the results if anaysis from the Doublee Helix loboratory.

It emerged that since the launch of the programme in April 2014, achievements like the development of genetic markers for Prunus africana suitable for DNA fingerprinting of barks, the training of local teams in DNA sample collection and storage and the implementation of DNA verification location sites from pre-harvest to the factory and then to the exit points have been recorded.

The project was intended to demonstrate that using DNA techniques, Prunus africana bark can be traced back to specific tree areas from controlled Prunus Allocation Units, PAUs. The proposed DNA traceability system is expected to enable random verification of traceability documentation to detect bark susbtitution from uncontrolled areas and associated documents fraud to a high level of confidence, allowing for timely corrective actions to be implemented. 

The government of Cameroon has shown commitment to improving the system of traceability of species of fauna and flora under threats of extinction. Possessing undisputable data will give the international community assurance on the quality of Prunus africana of Cameroonian origin.