Rwanda Police warns public against unauthorized tree cutting
The Rwanda National Police force has seriously warned the public to work together in protecting endangered tree species and forests. The police has gone a head to educate the public a bout the usefulness of protecting trees. Trees help in the formation of convectional rainfall, attract tourist, cools the environment, and provides fresh breathing air among others. To that note, whoever caught illegally cutting down trees will be punished by law. Police emphasized.
In the Policy Statement 10: on Forest Biodiversity, the government has implementation strategies such as: Management of existing protected areas; establishing buffer-zone plantations; creating partnerships and informed participation of stakeholders with sanctioned authority; Implementing integrated conservation and development programmes (ICDPs) among local communities and collaboration between relevant sectoral institutions.
Cutting of trees without authorization in Rwanda is illegal and punishable by the law. It is considered as an act of environmental degradation, which has negative impact on nature and humans in particular. Article 416 of the organic law on environment, partly stipulates that anyone who illegally cuts trees in a forest or any public place, is punishable with a term of imprisonment of between six months and two years and a fine of between Rwf300, 000 to Rwf2 million or one of the two penalties.
To implement the law, on January 20, 2014 two people were arrested in Kamabuye sector of Bugesera District for allegedly felling trees. The suspects were found with one tone of the tree stumps, which they were apparently trying to load on a truck plate number, RAA 275C.
In august 2013, three sets of persons were arrested, in less than one month for allegedly being involved in illegal trafficking of a perfume plant to neighboring countries.
Rwanda is a country which sets laws and implements them, so the public should be a lert and report to police any case of illegal cutting of trees. The campaign is aimed at preserving the environment for the future generation.
