Elephants are under attack in Africa. In 2012, poachers killed some 35,000 – or 96 elephants a day – for their ivory tusks. It’s all part of a surging wildlife trafficking industry, now the fifth most lucrative illegal activity.

To combat the brutal ivory trade, an alliance of conservation groups and African nations was announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) summit in New York. The group includes WCS, Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund, the African Wildlife Foundation, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Together they will work towards solutions to stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand.

Not only will the CGI commitment aim to stop the violence against wildlife, but the security threat that comes with the high-priced criminal activity. Funds will be used to support African governments – including Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, South Sudan, Malawi, and Uganda – as they hire more park guards, toughen penalties for poachers, and strengthen intelligence networks.

Read the op-ed by WCS president and CEO Cristián Samper at CNN.com>>