(Juba) – In January 2025, South Sudan’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon, announced a nationwide suspension on the issuing of new logging permits in an attempt to control rampant illegal logging, particularly involving teak—an endangered hardwood highly valued on international markets.
The move was prompted by increasing concern over the unregulated felling and export of teak, primarily to India and the Netherlands. Despite being listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2004, and subject to restrictions under international environmental agreements, teak logging in South Sudan remains largely unregulated and dominated by illicit networks.
Known as the “king of woods,” teak is widely used in high-end construction, boat-making, and luxury furniture. After oil, it is considered South Sudan’s second most valuable natural resource. The international research group C4ADS estimates that more than 100,000 tonnes of South Sudanese teak are exported annually, though the vast majority leaves the country through illegal channels.
The World Bank has estimated that the global market value of this timber could bring South Sudan up to $150 million per year. However, the government earns only around $2 million (approx. 3.3 billion South Sudanese Pounds at today’s exchange rate), as most exports are diverted through smuggling routes that avoid official taxes and export procedures.
Widespread environmental destruction has followed. Forests in Central Equatoria’s Gulumbi, Wudabi, and Panyume payams, as well as the Imatong Mountains and Dongotomea region in Eastern Equatoria, have seen large-scale deforestation. Protected zones such as Lantoto National Park in Yei River County and wooded areas in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal have also been heavily exploited.
Security and border analysts suggest the trade is actively facilitated by armed actors. According to Justin Khamis, a border expert based in Juba, elements within both the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-IO) are involved. Some soldiers are allegedly cutting timber themselves, while others provide safe passage to smugglers.
Several companies with military connections have been named in media investigations, including Aguet Trading Co., Santos Petroleum and Timber Company, and Oscar Investment Company. These firms are suspected of operating with impunity under protection from armed units.
Former Defence Minister Angelina Teny has suggested that economic hardship may be one reason for the military’s participation. With irregular salary payments and limited alternative income sources, some troops reportedly turn to logging as a survival strategy.
Teak is often transported from logging sites such as Gbare in Kajo Keji County, moved across the Moijo stream into Uganda’s Moyo District. From there, it continues through Uganda to the Port of Mombasa in Kenya. Investigators say the trade is aided by falsified documents and sometimes the complicity of Ugandan border officials who help produce fake certificates of origin. Once the timber is reclassified as Ugandan, it is exported to India and the Netherlands.
Investigative journalist John-Allan Namu told ENACT, an African security research platform, that some of the teak is also mixed with timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to further conceal its origin. This mixed timber is labelled as Ugandan and shipped, allowing exporters to bypass international regulations such as the European Union Timber Regulation, which prohibits trade in illegally sourced wood.
To further complicate enforcement, sellers are increasingly using platforms such as Facebook to market teak informally. Many of these traders are unregistered and operate deep in forests without any form of government permit or supervision, making the trade difficult to track or control.
Experts say that improved monitoring systems, particularly those based on DNA technology, could make it harder for illegal traders to conceal timber origin. Portable DNA tracking kits can identify the source of a tree, even after it has been processed into lumber. Coupled with electronic tracking systems, this could allow authorities to verify whether timber shipments are legal.
In Ghana, for example, a timber legality assurance system is used to trace wood from forest to export, using data points across the supply chain. Systems like AFRICA-TWIX, the Central Africa Forest Observatory, and the Open Timber Portal also support better forest governance by tracking timber movements, coordinating enforcement, and providing transparency.
However, these solutions require robust law enforcement and political will. In South Sudan, limited institutional capacity, corruption, and porous borders continue to hinder efforts to curb illegal trade. Civil society and media organisations play a key role in raising awareness and putting pressure on authorities to act, but face serious risks in doing so.
International environmental organisations, including the IUCN and World Customs Organization, are being urged to expand cooperation with South Sudan and its neighbours. Greater regional coordination is seen as essential to protect endangered resources and reduce the influence of corrupt networks.
If these issues are not addressed, experts warn that South Sudan risks losing one of its most valuable natural resources—teak—to criminal groups operating without accountability. The consequences are not only environmental but also economic, affecting future development, legal trade opportunities, and local communities that depend on the forests.
