A truck impounded for illegal logging in South Sudan on March 2021. | File photo/Courtesy

Western Equatoria State Minister of Agriculture has denied giving a green light to alleged widespread logging activities in the state while being questioned in parliament.

Barnaba Alison appeared before the state August House on Monday to answer questions related to the work of his institution.

He was asked to account for rampant logging and non-payment of his civil servants at the counties level.

In his response, Alison confirmed the prevalence of loggers but denied the accusations that he authorized them to carry out logging in the state.

“It is true, people tend to cut the trees randomly without following the right procedures, I also briefed them on procedures that we take as a State Ministry that we don’t give permission for people to go and cut the trees,” Alison told journalists in Yambio town.

“We are not giving permission for people to go and cut trees, but we have facilitators for these processes until they get the final approval from the parliament.”

A 2022 joint research by the South Sudan Council of Churches and the UK Peace-building Opportunities Fund stated that teak, mahogany, Afezilia, and mvule are being logged in Western Equatoria.

Illegal logging in South Sudan is persistent in the heavily wooded areas bordering Northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to reports.

The practice is common around Yei River, Kajo-Keji, Western Equatoria State, and parts of Eastern Equatoria State.