Government vows action against illegal loggers

The government reiterated it’s firm stance against illegal logging following reported cases of logging particularly in Kajo Keji County, Central Equatoria State.
File photo shows, Joseph Africano Bartel, Undersecretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry

By Simon Deng

The government reiterated it’s firm stance against illegal logging following reported cases of logging particularly in Kajo Keji County, Central Equatoria State.

 “What the Minister has done is simply reiterate the ban on illegal logging in the natural forests, not only in Kajokeji but in the whole country. We know the same activities are happening in Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal State,” said Joseph Africano Bartel, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry at a press conference on Monday in Juba.

Africano revealed that the logs in Kajo Keji are being shipped to neighboring Uganda.

He noted that Ministry of Environment and Forestry is unable to deploy forest guards due to insecurity in some parts of the country.

 On January 18, 2025, residents of Kajokeji appealed to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Central Equatoria State Governor, Augustino Jadala Wani and Kajokeji County Commissioner, David Lisi to intervene and put to an end to the widespread illegal logging.

In 2018, the government banned illegal logging.

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