Vice President Alieu Badara Joof has summoned the nation’s security heads to tackle timber trade export in the country.

“Last Friday, Vice President Badara A. Joof summoned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), the Managing Director of The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), the Commissioner General of Customs and the new Environment Minister and team to his office with a clear instruction to tackle this menace [timber trade] head on,” Ebrima G Sankareh, spokesman for the Gambia Government said. 

According to Mr Sankareh, President Barrow has been “consistently passionate and resolutely committed to the preservation of our endangered natural resources to balance the economic needs of our population and the environmental rights of future generations.”

Dr Joof had already made clear his intention to tackle timber trade in The Gambia. 

Last month at a cabinet retreat, the VP announced a clampdown on illegal timber traders and exporters in the country. 

The Gambia is said to be among the five largest global exporters of rosewood timber despite declaring its own stocks close to extinction almost a decade ago.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba