The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) announced its decision on Thursday to allow four Southern African countries to sell their stocks of ivory, after which a 9-year moratorium on ivory trade ensues.

CITES permitted Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to sell their stocks of ivory on condition that an additional nine-year moratorium came into force. The organization will also supervise the ivory sales.

The decision was announced in The Hague. The 171 member states of the CITES gathering discussed proposals for the sale which came from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

East and West African countries, led by Kenya and Mali, strongly opposed the project.

Animal rights activists strongly disagreed with CITES’ “compromise,” arguing that an ivory sale would “stimulate” demand for ivory. They also refused to use money resulting from the forthcoming sale for natural conservations.

Others rejoiced at the thought of the nine-year ban. Kenya Wildlife Service director Julius Kipng'etich called the decision “Africa's finest hour, a proud moment for the continent, its people and the elephant,” the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation said on Thursday.

The stockpiled ivory which will be sold by the four countries consists of tusks removed from elephants that die from disease or natural cause.

CITES banned worldwide ivory trade in 1989 as increased poaching seriously endangered the populations of elephants. Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have been allowed before to sell ivory, when CITES acknowledged in 1997 that some southern African elephant populations were healthy.