China's demand for luxury wood furniture ‘fuels’ West Africa’s deforestation

A truck heading to the Port of Douala in Cameroon is seen leaving a forest in Ngoyla in the East. PHOTO | NDI EUGENE NDI | NMG

Photo credit: Ndi Eugene Ndi | Nation Media Group

For months, authorities in Cameroon were faced with pressure from conservationists to rescind a government contract that allowed the controversial harvesting of timber from a heritage forest.

On August 11, the Prime Minister’s office issued a cancellation decree. Fouda Seraphin Magloire, the Secretary-General in the PM’s office, said there were illegalities in allowing harvesting in the forest.