CES Governor directs authorities to reinforce order banning logging

JUBA – The Governor of South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, has directed local authorities in Kajo-keji County to reinforce a gubernatorial order on the ban of illegal logging in the state.

Governor Adil made this directive in his office during a meeting with Executive Directors of Kajo-keji County on Thursday.

“I do hereby direct you to the Executive Directors to help reinforce my earlier order on stoppage of teak logging in your county with help from the security authorities on the ground. Any teak logs found on ground must be confiscated, and the people or company found behind it should be apprehended and must face the law,” Adil said.

On 29 October 2020, the governor of Central Equatoria state issued an order banning cutting of logs in all counties of the state.

The order came after an outcry in most parts of the Greater Equatoria, where rare species of timber and other wood products are fast disappearing due to illegal logging and charcoal burning.

The local communities demanded that logging stop, saying they have not been benefiting from the companies or the government for using their resources.

In 2018, a Kenyan investigative journalist revealed that senior members of South Sudan’s armed groups were colluding with Ugandan security officers to sell trucks loaded with teak from Yei River area.