Illegal loggers scare away Viphya forest guards with load muzzles: Malawi army deployed

Department of Forestry has described as aggression the move by illegal loggers in Viphya forest who are scaring away guards with locally made muzzle loaders.

Spokesperson for the Forestry department Sangwani Phiri says government has now engaged Malawi Defense Force soldiers to confront the people who are using muzzle loaders in the forest.

“We have deployed soldiers to take on the illegal loggers,” he said.

He warned people should refrain from entering the forest as doing so would make them engage directly with the soldiers currently guarding the forest.

The forest has been closed from November 2016 to April 2017.

“The MDF soldiers will not take it lightly,” said Phiri.

The MDF soldiers are also guarding other forests including Dzalanyama in Lilongwe and Mulanje where some people have been killed.

The soldiers have been condemned for using excessive force in their exercise of protecting the forests.