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The world ban on ivory trading should be lifted, say southern African countries. Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa have asked CITES, which regulates the trade in endangered species, to allow them to sell 14,000 kilograms of ivory every year between them. The countries say that there are too many elephants and they may have to begin culling. But critics say that reviving the ivory trade will only encourage illegal poaching of Africa’s 500,000 elephants. CITES will rule on the proposals in November.