Amuru officials impound charcoal bags in response to directive against deforestation

The crackdown, which happened between Friday last week and Monday, followed the latest directive from Minister of Environment Beatrice Anywar banning the issuance of all documents that facilitate commercial production and transportation of charcoal and other forest products in the Acholi Sub-region.

Stephen Odong Latek, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner, told URN that six trucks and a lorry were impounded at the National Forestry Authority (NFA) offices in Gulu. He added that 400 bags of charcoal were impounded in Otwe Town Council awaiting possible auctioning.

He said they welcome the ban and await the Minister's guidelines on implementation. In the meantime, they will be doing routine monitoring and impounding charcoal to discourage practices that are harmful to the environment.

“We are generally enforcing the ban on large-scale charcoal production in Amuru with the view of conserving the environment notwithstanding the Minister’s directive. The rate at which the environment is being destroyed for charcoal is alarming and if we don’t do something the situation will be worse in the long run,” said Latek.

The NFA sector Manager for Aswa River Range Jimmy Ouna said the impounded truckload did not have documents indicating licenses for charcoal production or their origin.

He noted that they are building a case against the culprits to be prosecuted in court.

Meanwhile, according to Ouna, the ban hasn't been instituted in the neighbouring district of Adjumani where the trucks come from to pass through Amuru.

Anywar first issued the directive on January 11, 2023, and restricted it to Gulu District citing that major transit routes converge there.

However, on February 24, the Minister wrote a letter extending the directive to the entire Acholi Sub-region.

According to the Global Forest Watch, Aswa Range lost 31.3 hectares of tree cover in 2021 which is equivalent to 11.1kt of carbon dioxide emissions.