The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security personnel in Atiak sub county, Amuru district on Thursday raided and destroyed an illegal camp of charcoal dealers.
The operation which was conducted in Ogom Raa and Tee-Got parishes in Okidi village was led by the Environmental Police Protection Unit. Hundreds of temporary structures, piles of logs for burning, and kilns of already burning charcoal were destroyed.
During the operation, two power saws and rudimentary tools which are used by the illegal charcoal dealers were recovered and impounded by the Environmental Police Protection Unit.
Kenneth Okot, the Chairperson for Greater Atiak says that they were alarmed by concerns of the massive indiscriminate destruction of natural forest and tree species in the area.
Okot explained that no illegal dealer was arrested because they could have been tipped about the operation prompting them to flee.
Okot decried the extensive destruction of natural forest and natural trees including Afzelia Africana, Mahogany, shea nut tree, and Mvule among others in the area.
He explained that the illegal dealers have razed to ground hundreds of forest acres living bare lands yet they illegally intruded into the areas which he says are communally owned.
Last week, two of the illegal dealers were also arrested with two and a half sacks of opium from Okidi Parish by the Atiak sub county authorities during a similar operation.
Samuel Akera, the Attiak sub county chairperson says that their major tasks in the office are to completely wipe out illegal charcoal dealers from the area and also protect the environment.
In a move to promote reforestation and restore the depleted environment, the Greater Atiak area last year distributed 800,000 tree seedlings to locals of Atiak town council, Atiak sub county, and Opara sub county.
Testimony Aol, an environmental activist advised Ugandans to desist from environmental destruction but instead plant more trees to restore the already destroyed environment lest they risk facing desertification.
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