National Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Beda Deng Machar has called on South Sudanese to stop producing and exporting charcoal to other countries.

Speaking to Radio Bakhita on Wednesday, Beda urged the nation to use alternative sources of energy including electricity and dry firewood.

Similarly, Environment Minister Deng Deng Hoc discouraged people from practicing deforestation for the sake of preserving trees. He also urged concerned authorities to take action to avoid or reduce desertification for tree sustainability.

Deng wondered how human life would survive without trees in the world with too much carbon dioxide, calling on citizens to protect the already existing trees and plant more to help sustain human lives.

The environment ministry has already banned charcoal exports, Radio Bakhita reported. Deng said that security and law enforcement agents were mandated to confiscate charcoal being exported from the country and arrest culprits.

File photo: Charcoal and fuelwood at a market in Darfur, 2007 (UNEP)