Gabon strengthens forest investigators' skills to combat illegal logging

The training, organized by the Ministry of Water and Forests with technical support from The Nature Conservancy TNC and funding from the Central African Forest Initiative CAFI, focused on strengthening competencies in investigation, judicial procedures, and evidence management. The objective was to improve the effectiveness of field missions and ensure the legal soundness of cases submitted to the courts. Christiana Assambou, Deputy Public Prosecutor at the special prosecutor's office, emphasized the importance of formal rules in forest offense investigations, noting that non-compliance can invalidate procedures.

She also highlighted the need for reinforced national and international cooperation due to the often cross-border nature of these offenses. Commandant Mapaha Eurol Luce, Head of the Regulation and Litigation Department at the Directorate General of Forests, acknowledged existing shortcomings among many judicial police officers in drafting reports and conducting field investigations. The training aims to address these deficiencies, preventing procedural invalidation in court.

Key topics included methods for observing and suppressing offenses, legal qualification of facts, and mandatory mentions in official reports. This initiative marks a significant step in professio