Nwoya Residents Receive Impounded Charcoal by Army

[Eronda]

More than 800 bags of charcoal impounded from dealers transporting the contraband through northern Uganda have been distributed free of charge to residents in Nwoya district.

The charcoal was distributed on Thursday to residents of Agung village in Purongo sub-county and Anaka Town Council on the orders of Fourth Infantry Division commander Maj Gen Felix Busizoori.

The move comes days after the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and other security agencies renewed enforcement of a ban on commercial production, transportation and trade in charcoal in northern Uganda, including the importation of charcoal from South Sudan.

While leading a joint operation with security agencies and local government officials in Nwoya, Gen Busizoori said the distribution was intended to benefit communities whose livelihoods and environment have been affected by deforestation.

Busizoori had earlier warned charcoal traders that, effective August 11, any charcoal impounded in northern Uganda would be distributed to local communities.

“You are receiving this charcoal because your livelihoods and surroundings have been severely impacted by deforestation driven by illegal dealers,” he told residents.

He urged communities to take an active role in protecting the environment and conserving natural ecosystems, while calling for closer cooperation between residents and security agencies to combat illegal logging and charcoal burning.

The charcoal distributed to residents was part of more than 2,000 bags impounded by security forces in Nwoya between Wednesday and Thursday at checkpoints in Purongo sub-county and Anaka Town Council.

At least three box-bodied trucks, registration numbers UBL 273K, UBM 450B and UAY 3204, were impounded while transporting the charcoal towards Karuma.

Nwoya Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Christopher Omara said some of the trucks had come from Amuru district and the Oraba border point in Koboko district, in the West Nile sub-region.

Omara said seven suspects found transporting the charcoal had been arrested and were being held at Nwoya Central Police Station.
Source: The Observer