These logs of the protected Africana tree species were impounded by Police assigned from the Ministry of Environment. The trucks from Amuru and Lamo districts were bound for Kampala. “No forest produce shall move beyond 6 pm daily. In order to allow the local government and other stakeholders to regulate and enforce the environmental regulations so that they supervise the movement. But in this case, it has not been happening; trees have been moving at night, they cut during the day and they move them at night.” Said, Xavier Sekanabo – Superintendent of Environmental Police.

“Look at these trees, and you know what? Some of these trees are trees that have taken years and years or even 100 years. And then somebody goes to the village and pays 20,000 to buy. We are told that these trees are being exported to Asia especially China. And we are going to write a formal complaint to the Chinese Embassy.” Said, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi – Gulu District Chairperson. The Gulu District Chairperson Martin Ojara Mapenduzi said the people cutting these rare trees were highly connected. “Our biggest concern is that even after the directive of the Minister, how do these illegal dealers transport these trees from Gulu to Kampala? They move in the night, there is connivance and that has to stop.”

The Africana tree is a wild species which only grows in Northern Uganda and parts of the West Nile region. “They are not supposed to be cut without the permission of the Minister. And the Minister was acting to the powers conferred to him by Section 29 of the same Act to write and stop any transportation, cutting, dealing and disturbing of this tree.” The Ministry also instituted a special police team to carry out operations against the business. Police said the operation would continue to weep out the illegal cutting of the protected species of trees. “So the district will decide whether to have these people prosecuted and taken to court or cautioned or fined, it will take a decision.”