Dakar addresses timber trafficking following massacre

Senegal plans to step up efforts to stop the trafficking of prized timber in its southern Casamance region, following the massacre of 13 men in an incident believed to be linked to the trade. A report on the News24 site notes that the army is leading a search for the perpetrators of the 6 January attack near the regional capital of Ziguinchor. Justice Minister Ismaila Madior Fall said the authorities would ‘evaluate the policy for criminality linked to wood trafficking in the region’. Loggers have long benefited from the trade, often taking timber over the border to The Gambia before exporting it to China.