AYV News, July 22, 2025
Upper Tambaka chiefdom, Karene district, is slowly losing its rich forest quality since the commencement of rampant and rapid logging around the Outamba Kilimi National Park (OKNP) and the buffer zone areas.
Most of the community’s forests have been destroyed due to the activities of illegal loggers, and most of these forests were contributing to the upkeep of the critically endangered species of chimpanzees, elephants, red flank duiker and yellow back duiker, etc.
Since the forests support the livelihood of the people and wildlife, the authorities can provide solutions to mitigate or stop illegal deforestation in these forest areas.
According to some stakeholders in the community, all the logged planks are exported to Guinea with no value revenue or benefit to the chiefdom, leaving it with zero benefits and destruction of the roads leading to the various communities, not to mention the massive climate change it has been subjected to.
Forest destruction always causes more harm than good, as the people are aware that “no forest, no rain and no rain, no farming”, especially when the Tambaka chiefdom depends on agriculture, the mainstay of its economy.
Environmental degradation is higher in Tambaka chiefdom than in any other chiefdom in Karene district.
Almost daily, huge trucks move from Guinea to Tambaka to transport the planks from different points around the park and the community forests.
As a community, the people should give back to nature by planting trees and protecting them. In the past, Tambaka was considered the home of conservation and the base of wildlife.
Although there are Rangers and Foresters deployed to manage and protect the forests, in partnership with chiefdom stakeholders and the community, it has not created much impact, as the rate of deforestation has increased exponentially.
It must be noted that some of these community forests are high-value conservation areas, while others are corridors to the Outamba Kilimi National Park.
Destroying these places is like destroying the park and the surrounding communities that depend on them for survival.
According to a resident, plank logging has rapidly destroyed the source of income and the lives of the people of Tambaka, as well as their environment and the home of wildlife.
One of the popular depositing sites for the harvested planks is the Lakatha community in Thandatha village, near OKNP. In contrast, the main site is Sanya, close to the Guinea border, where heavy-duty trucks collect the planks for onward transportation to Guinea.
