Trees fell by Illegal loggers in Kajo-keji County. JULY 30, 2021| Photo: Eye Radio

Members of the parliamentary caucus of Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria are calling on the state government to cancel licenses of logging companies in the area.

More than a week ago, a convoy of vehicles belonging to loggers was reportedly destroyed by unknown gunmen in Kajo-Keji County.

They include 2 tractors, five cranes, seven power shows as well as five motorbikes.

The incident reportedly occurred around the Kansuk area when the loggers driving heavy trucks –some bearing Ugandan number plates — fell into an ambush.

A soldier and a civilian bike were reportedly killed in the attack.

The fate of the drivers is still unclear.

In a statement seen by Eye Radio, released last week, 14 members of parliamentary caucus of Kajo-Keji County condemned the burning of the fleet of trucks and motorcycles in an attempt to stop the persistence defiance against the call to ban and stop the logging.

“We call upon the state government to cancel all the licenses of the logging companies and reinforce the gubernatorial order to stop and avoid any further violence emerging from frustration over the continual defiance on implementation of state orders,” the MPs said.

This is because the law-makers said following the attack on the convoy, civilians in the area have been targeted by some members of the security organs.

In October 2020, the state government issued an order, banning logging in all of its six counties in an attempt to stop deforestation and preserve some rare tree species.

This made the Kajo-keji County commissioner effect the order by writing to companies actively logging in Kajo-keji to cease the activities with immediate effect.

Economists say illegal logging in South Sudan is persistent in the heavily wooded areas bordering Northern Uganda and DR Congo.

The practice is common in Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria and parts of Eastern Equatoria states.

In 2019, the Washington-based research group, C4ADS, examined trade data to document the export of around 100,000 tons of South Sudanese teak from January 2018 to March 2019.

It found that corruption and a poorly regulated logging trade mean that the government, the military, and other armed groups are skimming profits off South Sudan’s portion of the global teak trade, which is worth more than 500 million dollars annually.