The National Legislative Assembly has condemned the logging and depletion of forests in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State.
In its second session on Friday, Hon. Remjijo Lasu Peter, the member of parliament representing Morobo County in the Transitional National Assembly, presented the motion to the legislatures as an urgent and important matter on logging and depletion of forests by foreigners and some nationals, which is dangerous to our environment, as the agenda for the session.
According to Regulation 52(1) of the TNLA Conduct of Business Regulation 2011 as amended in 2021 and Article 57(a) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011, this august house is in charge of overseeing the work of the national government institutions. Please allow me to bring to your attention this urgent matter about the logging in Payume and Gulumbi payams of Morobo County, which could have an effect on the environment," Hon. Lasu argued.
“The foreigners and South Sudanese nationals involved in the depletion of the forest in Morobo County of Central Equatoria State, which includes Italians, Lebanese, Ugandans, and Congolese."
During the renewed conflict in 2016 in the country, most of the civil population went into exile to neighboring countries, such as Uganda and the DRC, as refugees.
According to the 2018 peace agreement, Payume Payam of Morobo County was selected as the cantonment area, and some of the reserved forces of the 2018 peace agreement remained in the area due to the absence of local people there.
“Logging of trees for timber and depletion of the forest for charcoal is going on in Morobo County, which may result in a negative impact on our environment. Two power saws were confiscated by the youths as exhibits," he explained.
"Therefore, there is misuse of our natural resources, particularly forests; cutting down and selling our timber without a trade mark indicating country of origin is a failure for which the following generations will be responsible."
He emphasized that there is a need to summon the relevant authorities, such as the governor of Central Equatoria State and his commissioners, to answer questions on the matter.
The lawmaker endorsed the motion and passed it with some resolutions, which stressed that there would be a committee comprised of seven members of the fact-finding committee to access and report to the house, which would be referred to a specialized committee for deliberation by Rt. Hon. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba.