Africa-Press – Uganda. BY SCOVIN ICETA
Youth and the army on Tuesday evening clashed at Logoba Parish in Moyo Sub-county as they attempted to block trucks loaded with logs from leaving the district.
Conservationists have on several occasions blamed the environmental degradation on army officials, who they accuse of being involved in illegal logging business.
Chaos ensued when Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers deployed at the border gave way for the trucks to transport the logs.
The soldiers claim that the youth wanted to burn the truck, which prompted them to intervene.
Mr Micheal Igama, a resident of Minge Village in Logoba Parish, told Daily Monitor that the logs are from within Uganda much as the soldiers claim they were from South Sudan.
“We blocked the truck on the road branching from Logoba Secondary School. No truck can go to South Sudan on that road because there is no bridge on Ayo stream for trucks to cross to South Sudan. They harvested these logs from within Moyo,” he said.
Mr Igama said residents are determined to protect the environment.
“We had no intention of burning the truck. Our mission is to stop illegal logging within Moyo because our area is becoming a desert because of the loggers,” he added.
Another resident, Mr James Inyaga, said: “We want to stop this vice but we are being let down by our leaders and those holding guns. We should all join hands and fight for the environment.”
Mr Ceasar Chandiga, the Moyo Town Council chairperson, asked leaders to be transparent.
“It is the worst hypocrisy if leaders get money and keep quiet. People are carrying out illegal lumbering every day and some of our leaders are quiet about it because they are in the racket,” he said.
On Tuesday, Ms Josephine Ajio, a reporter of Radio Pacis in Moyo, also alleged that one security officer slapped her while she was carrying out interviews.
“The leaders of the loggers did not want to speak to us, claiming that they are waiting for their bosses to arrive. But this did not happen,” she said.
However, the Moyo District chairperson, Mr Williams Anyama, said: “According to the intelligence reports, some youth intended to burn the truck but the UPDF deployed and three people were arrested and detained at Moyo Central Police Station.”
The youth were later released at night.
Lt Hassan Kato, the UPDF 4th Division spokesperson, said: “We are working with the National Forestry Authority officials to find out where the logs came from. Who is behind it and when the investigations are complete, it will be cleared.”
Moyo, Uganda Deforestation Rates & Statistics | GFW.
In 2010, Moyo had 68.2kha of tree cover, extending over 37 percent of its land area. In 2021, it lost 20.6ha of tree cover, equivalent to 5.43kt of CO emissions.
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