South Sudan army officers accused of profiteering from illegal logging in Pageri

Communities of Pageri County in Torit State have reported massive illegal logging allegedly being carried out by military and state officials.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in the opposition (SPLM/A-IO) conducted an investigation into the reports and says large chunks of forest reserves were cut at the height of the conflict when the civilian population had fled to neighbouring countries.

Chairperson of the SPLA-IO Economic Committee, Augustine Okuma, says the investigation covering the period July to December 2018, uncovered mass illegal logging with some of the illegal harvests destined to Uganda for sale.

Okuma says they will share their findings with the army and government officials.

He spoke to Abraham Malek in this interview.