Pader district chairperson Rtd Col Fearless Obwoya said the charcoal had been bought by traders in Acholibur Town Council and had already been transported up to Bombo, where they were confiscated by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
This follows a ban on the issuance of licenses for trade in forest products in February this year, and the subsequent signing of an executive order by President Museveni on May 19, banning tree cutting for commercial charcoal production in northern Uganda.
In the executive order exercised under Article 99 (2) of the constitution, Museveni pointed out that some security personnel were openly providing escort services for the destructive charcoal business, which has forced locals to hold the security people in great contempt.
The ban on charcoal dealing prompted leaders in the Acholi region to descend on charcoal traders, which has led to the confiscation of hundreds of bags of charcoal across the sub-region.
Obwoya says that although the sacks of charcoal should have been auctioned, the leaders in Acholi-bur Town Council decided that they should be given to the community because they had lost quality time during the several processes of loading and offloading.
Obwoya added that 600 other sacks are being kept at Angagura police station in sub-county and will be auctioned after the leaders meet to decide how much to sell each sack.
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