UPDF Orders Crackdown On Charcoal Burning In Northern Uganda, West Nile

What the report says

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has ordered a tighter crackdown on charcoal burning and tree-cutting in Northern Uganda and the West Nile sub-region, according to Watchdog Uganda. The directive came from Maj. Gen. Felix Busizoori, commander of the UPDF 4 Infantry Division, during a meeting at the division headquarters in Gulu with security officials, government agencies and charcoal traders.

Busizoori said the 2023 Executive Order banning tree-cutting and charcoal burning remains in force and should be enforced strictly. He cited damage to forest reserves in the region, including Zoka Forest, and framed the issue as both an environmental and regional concern. He also said charcoal dealers should not be allowed to operate in Northern Uganda and West Nile with immediate effect.

The meeting included representatives from the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Uganda Revenue Authority, police, the Internal Security Organisation and charcoal dealers. The chairman of the Charcoal Dealers Association in Uganda, Eria Ssenyonjo, reportedly argued that some charcoal reaching the area was imported from South Sudan and was part of legitimate trade. In response, Busizoori said South Sudan had already outlawed charcoal burning and exports, making such imports illegal.

The order highlights continuing tensions between conservation efforts, local trade interests and enforcement in areas facing deforestation and forest degradation.