Rohey John Manjang, the nation’s Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources minister, has doubled down on timber trade ban in the country.

Ms Manjang said: “We want to reiterate government decisions on this timber trade ban. It has to be enforced and enforced to the maximum, we will engage the border communities, and we visited the timber landing sites. 

“The delegation intends to find out how active they are within border villages. Timber smugglers involved in illegal activity will be punished.”

“We want to confirm if some of them are still active in the business, at some level we realized that they are still active in the business,” she added during a nationwide familiarisation tour to various illegal logging timber landing sites in Kasalang Lower Fulladu District CRR South.

According to Ms Manjang, the Senegalese authorities have a big role to play in enforcing the ban. 

“We have to take the blame for accepting to receive them and providing the market for them, now we want to come up with the decision to close the market through the border entry points and the seaport.

“We finally want to start enforcement nationwide and all the authorities are going to respond, especially the alkalos, even the ministry with the government as a bigger stakeholder. 

“We are going to strategise on the ground to make sure everything is normal, if the ground is clear some timber products will be allowed for local consumption. 

“But you have to get certified authorised documents that will allow selling timber for local consumption,” she added

Reporting by Adama Makasuba