The ivory trade, especially in China and Asia as well as sub-Saharan Africa is fueling terrorist groups like the Shabab and other Islamic terrorist groups to kill tens of thousands of African elephants according to a New York Times article on September 4, 2012.
Clearly reducing demand for ivory is not working because governments in Africa and Asia are guilty of promoting it or refusing to police it.
America needs to reassert itself in Africa, which it hasn't done in the past decade plus. For now, American military assistance in weapons, training and support to literally fight the poachers in the air is needed if we are going to save African elephants from going extinct.