Zwedru: Burkinabees from neighboring Ivory Coast are reportedly  lighting fire and destroying large timbers in the B’hai district forest, in Grand Gedeh County.

 

Report by Gabriel Youtee_OK FM Grand Gedeh Reporter

 

The illegal occupants are said to destroying the timbers and planting cocoa for commercial purpose. 

Th Chairman of the Marbo Community forest #2 in B’hai district, Grand Gedeh County, Victor Pay said the situation is creating continuous embarrassment for Liberian farmers and other business people in the area. 

He said the forest which is being slash and burn by the illegal occupants is nearing its nine steps of validation by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) for acquiring its community forest status for commercialization.

Chairman Paye warned that the B’hai forest may soon lose its commercial value, if nothing is done to prevent the continuous destruction of the forest and its biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the Marbo Community forest Chairman is pleading with the Grand Gedeh legislative caucus to put an immediate halt to the current illegal farming activities by the Burkinabees.

The reported illegal intruding  by Burkinabees within the Grand Gedeh Forest has been a long standing issue that is yet to be addressed by  governments of the two Countries.