Illegal charcoal dealers’ makeshifts set ablaze, 150 arrested

Authorities in Amuru District on Wednesday stormed the camp of illegal charcoal dealers, setting ablaze several makeshift structures and arresting a total of 150 suspects, in a crackdown aimed at curbing charcoal burning and tree-felling in the district.

The impromptu operation was spearheaded by the newly appointed Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Agness Linda Auma, at Apany village in Atiak Sub County. More than 1,000 bags of charcoal were also burnt to ashes.

The district chairperson Mr Michael Lakony told Daily Monitor in an interview on Thursday that several camps have been put in place in different parts of the district which are used as hiding grounds for charcoal dealers and log fellers.

“This operation will not stop, we have noticed that these camps have made it easy for the illegal charcoal dealers and loggers to hide from security personnel and also the district officials while they destroy the environment,” he said.

Mr Lakony said more camps used by the charcoal dealers and loggers have been identified in the parishes of Pogo, Got Arege, Lac Mon, Olinga, Labala, Andara, Okojo and Apaa junction in Pabbo SubCounty adding that they will be destroyed too.

He said the camps have also bred criminal activities like robbery and prostitution which has increased insecurity and the spread of HIV/aids in the district.

Mr Lakony said the district has since stopped issuance of permits to charcoal traders adding that any charcoal impounded won’t be auctioned but rather set ablaze.

“We want commercial trade in charcoal to stop with immediate effect, we have decided not to issue any permits allowing transportation of charcoal. We have been auctioning impounded charcoal in the past but we found that once they are sold, they end up in the hands of the dealers again, so we shall just burn them,” he said.

Mr Ezekiel Emitu, the Aswa River Region Police Commander said the ongoing operation will help curb environmental degradation which is at a high scale in Amuru district.

“We have some of the tree species [Afzelia Africana and Shea Nut trees] that are endangered and government has issued a ban on their harvest and trade, but they continue being destroyed, this operation will help stop the vice,” he said.

Mr Emitu said that those arrested are being detained at Amuru Central Police station and the dealers will be taken to court and charged according to the National Forestry and tree planting Act 2003.

Acholi Sub-region has seen a drastic change in climate pattern due to the indiscriminate cutting of trees for lucrative charcoal and logs businesses.

The country loses about 100,000 hectares of forest cover every year, a situation that is worsening the effect of climate change according to the Ministry of Water and Environment.

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