The government of Gabon has suspended the logging licenses of two sites operated by a major Chinese timber company following revelations of widespread illegal practices, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The move targets the Dejia Group, a large privately owned Chinese conglomerate accused of extensive forest violations. The decision comes weeks after a damning investigation by the U.S. branch of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which uncovered years of systemic corruption, tax evasion, and environmental crimes across Central Africa’s timber trade.
According to the EIA’s four-year probe, Dejia “repeatedly violated core forestry laws, undermined timber regulations, and deprived the governments of Gabon and the Republic of Congo of millions in unpaid taxes.” The organization described the group as one of the most powerful Chinese logging networks in Africa, claiming its success has been “built on bribery, tax evasion, and forest crimes.”
In a rare move, Gabon on Friday revoked the license of Dejia subsidiary Société de Sciage de Moanda (SSMO) — a bold step given the group’s influence in the country’s lucrative timber sector. The EIA report estimates that Dejia manages more than 1.5 million hectares of forest concessions across Gabon and Congo, at the heart of the Congo Basin rainforest — the world’s second-largest tropical forest.
While Gabonese authorities characterized the suspensions as a “precautionary measure,” environmental groups in the country welcomed the decision, crediting the EIA’s report for triggering official action.
Marc Ona, head of the Gabonese NGO Brainforest, told AFP that without the EIA’s findings, “the ministry perhaps would not have carried out the inquiry” into SSMO. “This shows that within the ministry, there is no dedicated team to ensure logging companies comply with the law,” he added.
Lisa Handy, EIA’s Senior Policy Advisor and co-author of the report, discussed the investigation’s findings and outlined recommendations for stronger oversight to curb illegal logging and protect the Congo Basin — an ecosystem increasingly threatened by deforestation with far-reaching global consequences.
About time someone took action against these corporations! 🌳
How come it took so long for authorities to act on this? 🤔
Is the Dejia Group going to face any legal consequences beyond losing licenses?
This is a significant step by Gabon, but what’s the next move?
Wow, 1.5 million hectares! That’s a massive area to manage. 😮
Finally, some accountability in the timber industry. A win for the environment!
Can Gabon sustain this bold stance against such a powerful company?