From the end of May to the end of June 2022, the populations of Maroua and its surroundings can access legal charcoal from sawmill waste in the East, thanks to a campaign organized by the MINFOF and MINEPDED's Forests/Environment program. This campaign lays the foundation for the continued supply of legal coal to the north.

The populations of the Far North Region now have access to sustainable alternatives to wood fuel and illegal charcoal.

A campaign to promote and sensitize communities in northern Cameroon on the advantages of access to legal charcoal, launched on May 27, 2022, paves the way for the continued supply of legal charcoal to the people of Maroua from waste wood from sawmills in the East.

The operation, which is expected to last about a month, aims to sell a minimum of 750 bags of legal charcoal in the premises of the Support Service for Grassroots Development Initiatives (SAILD) in Maroua. It is also an opportunity to refine the strategies for a regular supply of the market through, in particular, the linking of local wholesalers previously identified, with the charcoal makers of the East Region.

The charcoal marketed is supplied by the Central Collection and Marketing of Sawmill Charcoal (C4B) based in Mandjou in eastern Cameroon. This economic interest group is supported by the Forest/Environment Program (ProFe) jointly led by the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) and the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED). The campaign is conducted with the technical and financial support of GIZ and the participation of SAILD.

Illegal charcoal production contributes to an accelerated degradation of natural resources and a considerable decrease in the area of wooded savannahs in the Far North Region. The practice, particularly in protected areas such as the Waza National Park, can also lead to human-wildlife conflict, with the risk of human attacks by pachyderms.

Abbo Mohamadou