Ugandan traders protest as South Sudan charcoal shipments remain blocked at border

Ugandan charcoal traders at the South Sudan–Uganda border have staged a protest after authorities blocked shipments of charcoal entering from South Sudan.

The traders say more than 172 dealers have been affected, leaving over 90,000 bags of charcoal worth about 2.4 billion Ugandan shillings stranded.

They argue that the charcoal was legally sourced from South Sudan and cleared by authorities in both countries after payment of the required taxes.

The blockage is linked to enforcement of Uganda’s Executive Order No. 3, which restricts commercial charcoal trade in parts of northern Uganda as part of efforts to reduce deforestation.

The traders say the order should not be used to block charcoal legally imported from South Sudan and are calling on Ugandan authorities to allow the shipments to proceed.

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Ugandan traders protest as South Sudan charcoal shipments remain blocked at border

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