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Kinyarwanda
Communities living near gazetted forests in Nyamagabe District have been called upon to desist from unlawful acts of deforestation, instead conserve them.
On Friday, two people identified as Laurent Habiyaremye, 40, and Francois Munyakazi, 38, were arrested while cutting trees for burning charcoal in a protected forest located in Kitabi Sector, Mujuga cell in Gasasa village.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Sylvestre Twajamahoro, the Police spokesperson for the Southern region, said that people, especially those residing near protected forests encroach on the forests to cut trees for construction, timber, charcoal burning and for sale.
"Police in Nyamagabe reacted on credible information from local residents about two people, who had sneaked into Gasasa forest and were felling trees," CIP Twajamahoro said.
"Indeed, Police officers found Habiyaremye and Munyakazi cutting trees. They were arrested over environmental degradation and handed over to RIB in Nyamagabe," he added.
He warned against such unlawful acts, which pose ill-effects on the environment and called for information sharing on anyone engaged in these environmental crimes.
Article 59 of law no 48/2018 of 13/08/2018 on environment, states that “any person, who causes death, destroys protected plants, harvests or damages them, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf3 million.”
