Rwanda National Police

Police in Huye District has warned residents living around Ibisi bya Huye forest against destroying the gazetted natural forest.

 The warning comes after Police, on Tuesday, intercepted a vehicle RAB 979J transporting timber from the protected forest.

 The vehicle was intercepted in Kibingo Cell of Karama Sector, and three people on board were taken into custody.

 The Police spokesperson for the Southern region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Sylvestre Twajamahoro identified the suspects as Straton Habimana, 44, (owner of the timber), Placide Iradukunda, 27, the driver and Jean Claude Nshimiyeyezu, 26, who was also on board.

“Habimana hired people to cut trees in Ibisi bya Huye gazetted forest and was using the house of one Kanamugire as the store. It is here at the house of Kanamugire where timber was loaded and it was at the time being smuggled to Kigali,” said CIP Twajamahoro.

 Residents are called to protect the forest by sharing information whenever they see people cutting trees.

“Cutting of trees without authorization in Rwanda, and worse in a gazetted area, is illegal and punishable by the law; it is an act of environmental degradation, which has a negative impact on nature and humans in particular,” CIP Twajamahoro explained.

 Article 44 of the law on environment, prohibits cutting trees in forests or protected areas like national parks or burning them.

 Article 59 of the same legal instrument, states that any person, who causes death, destroys protected plants, harvests or damages them, commits an offense.

 Upon conviction, the offender is liable to an imprisonment term of not less than three years and not more than five years and a fine of between Rwf1 million and Rwf3 million.