Africa-Press – South-Sudan. By Wek Atak Kacjang
The Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) appealed to the Central Equatoria government to cancel all licenses of logging companies in the state.
Earlier, a convoy of vehicles belonging to loggers was reportedly destroyed by unknown gunmen in Kajo-Keji County.The incident reportedly occurred around the Kansuk area when the loggers driving heavy trucks –some bearing Ugandan number plates fell into an ambush.
Edmund Yakani said that he supports the idea that was raised by the members of parliament representing Kajo-Keji County regarding the canceling license of logging companies in Kajo-Keji County should stop.
“We have evidence that in less than a week in Kansuk Boma, the loggers driving heavy trucks were attacked. Several people were killed,” he added
Last week, 14 members of the parliamentary caucus of Kajo-Keji County condemned the burning of the fleet of trucks and motorcycles in an attempt to stop the persistent defiance against the call to ban and stop the logging. Adding that they are calling the State government to cancel all the licenses of the logging companies and reinforce the gubernatorial order to stop and avoid any further violence emerging from frustration over the continual defiance on implementation of state orders.
In October 2020, the state government issued an order, banning logging in all of its six counties in an attempt to stop deforestation and preserve some rare tree species.
This made the Kajo-keji County commissioner effect the order by writing to companies actively logging in Kajo-keji to cease the activities with immediate effect.
In South Sudan, illegal logging is persistent in the heavily wooded areas bordering Northern Uganda and DR Congo. The practice is common in Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria and parts of Eastern Equatoria States.
In 2019, the Washington-based research group, C4ADS, examined trade data to document the export of around 100,000 tons of South Sudanese teak from January 2018 to March 2019.
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