Nwoya, Uganda: Security agencies have arrested seven people and impounded three vehicles carrying about 3,000 bags of charcoal as joint operations against illegal charcoal production and trade intensify in Northern Uganda.
The arrests were made in Anaka Town Council, Olwiyo at Agung Trading Centre and Karuma following renewed efforts by security agencies to enforce the presidential directive banning commercial charcoal production and trade in the region.
The latest operation follows a joint security meeting at the 4th Infantry Division headquarters in Gulu, where security agencies resolved to intensify enforcement against illegal charcoal burning, transportation and trade.
The crackdown is anchored on Executive Order No. 3 of 2023, issued by President Yoweri Museveni on May 19, 2023, amid concerns over widespread tree cutting, forest degradation and environmental damage associated with commercial charcoal production.
The directive targeted Northern and North-Eastern Uganda, including Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja and West Nile, where authorities say uncontrolled charcoal production has contributed to the destruction of forests and other natural resources.
In Acholi, the destruction has also raised concern over the loss of economically and culturally important tree species, including shea nut trees, which provide food, income and other benefits to communities.
4th Infantry Division Commander Maj Gen Felix Busizoori said those arrested would face both administrative and legal consequences.
He said the confiscated charcoal would not be returned to the traders and would instead be distributed to communities affected by environmental degradation, while the suspects would face prosecution.
“Those arrested will face two punishments. The charcoal will be given to the communities, and the suspects will also be prosecuted in the courts of law,” Maj Gen Busizoori said.
He urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by reporting individuals involved in illegal charcoal production, transportation and trade.
Nwoya Resident District Commissioner Christopher Omara said some charcoal dealers had continued operating despite the presidential directive by changing their methods to evade security operations.
According to Omara, some traders have abandoned major roads and resorted to transporting charcoal at night through alternative routes. “They have continued with the business, avoiding the major roads and moving at night. But with the renewed joint operations, we intend to nip this problem in the bud.”
He added that Nwoya had increasingly become a transit route for charcoal allegedly produced in neighbouring Amuru and Adjumani districts before being transported to other parts of the country.
Omara said district authorities were planning to engage neighbouring districts in a joint security meeting to strengthen coordination and close routes being exploited by charcoal dealers.
The RDC also called for greater involvement of the judiciary, arguing that previous arrests had not provided sufficient deterrence because some offenders received what authorities considered lenient sentences.
He opposed the auctioning of confiscated charcoal, saying the practice could allow the same traders to buy back the charcoal and resume the illegal business.
“If confiscated charcoal is auctioned, the same dealers can buy it back. Giving it to the communities ensures that the people who have suffered the environmental consequences benefit from it,” Omara said.
Meanwhile, Michael Ojja, a Senior Forest Officer with the Ministry of Water and Environment responsible for Acholi and Lango, said the renewed operations would increasingly focus on the source of charcoal production.
Ojja said security and environmental authorities must move beyond intercepting vehicles on highways and identify areas where trees are being cut and converted into charcoal.
“We intend to go to the source, where the trees are being cut, because that is where we must stop the vice. There is nobody who is allowed to deal in charcoal,” Ojja said.
He said local communities would play an important role in the campaign because residents are best placed to identify illegal tree cutting and charcoal production within their localities.
The vehicles impounded during the latest operation include registration numbers UBL 273K, UBM 450B and UAY 320A.
Among those arrested are Mbira Richard, Kamenyozi Noriat and Yasin Sserongkome, alongside four other suspects, including a woman.
The suspects have reportedly been charged with two counts of destruction of the environment and disobedience of a lawful order.
The operation comes amid continued concern that illegal charcoal production and transportation remain active in parts of Northern Uganda despite the 2023 presidential directive.
Security officials say the renewed campaign will focus not only on intercepting charcoal in transit but also on disrupting the supply chain at the source, where trees are felled and converted into charcoal.
The crackdown brings together security agencies, local governments, environmental authorities and other government institutions in an effort to curb illegal commercial charcoal trade and protect the region’s remaining forests and natural tree species.
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