BY: M.A Egge
ERIGAVO (Somalilandsun) – The government is prioritizing conservation of the environment with emphasis on fighting against deforestation and degradation of pastures.
The pledge was given and reiterated by none other than the environmental minister Hon. Lady Shukri Haji Ismael Bondare who was irked by the intensive and extensive charcoal burning in the Sanaag region.
The minister gave the sentiment a day after the Sanaag Regional governor Mr. Mohamud Ali Suleiman aka Ramaah and the regional environmental officer had mobilized an unprecedented security operation to comb the region as a whole of all illegal charcoal industry that was going on.
The Sanaag administration has been able to liaise the mobilization in conjunction with the area elected and non elected traditional leaders lead by the Erigavo Mayor Cllr. Ismael Haji Nour.
This is the first time in the history of the country in which the military servicemen join the local police in such a large scale to hunt down extensively in the vast sparse of the land the degraders of the environment.
The minister noted that the Sanaag charcoal industry is one that is big enough as to have been earmarked for export.
The charcoal is exported from Puntland to the Arabian Gulf States and as far as to Iran.
Asked by Dawan reporter Feisal as what the Sanaag residents would replace for charcoal Hon. Bondare quipped, “The natural fallen trees and dry trunks in the area are enough to sustain the residents,” hence added, “but the fresh live trees cut are earmarked for export -this is what we want to stop’.
While flagging off the over 100 armed personnel drawn from the 3rd battalion hqs in Sanaag and local police force, RG Ramaah said that the state will support the operations to the hilt until it achieves its purposes.
On the other hand Cllr. Ismael praised the governor whom he hailed for having been the impetus in initiating and seeing to it that the operation is mobilized.
“The governor has done a lot in seeing to it that the environment is saved hence we praise him for the cause while pledging our unreserved support”, said the mayor.
Meanwhile the environmental minister have disclosed that there is going to be a major meeting today (Sunday 3rd) that is to address the Arorey and Kol’adey holding pens for the livestock marketing exports.
