ENVIRONMENT-CAMEROON: Operation Green Sahel Resumes

By Tamfu Hanson GAROUA, Aug 16 (IPS) - "I have come to plant trees -- that is why I have left my jacket and tie in Yaoundé" declared Cameroon's Minister of Forest and Wildlife, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, as he launched the tree planting at a small village near the town of Kousseri, in the north of the country. In four minutes, the minister and his staff planted a hundred trees as a bulwark against rapidly encroaching desert. About 80,000 trees have been planted in this area -- described by Kousseri mayor Mahamat Abdoulkarim as the desert's gateway into Cameroon. More than one million trees will be planted across Cameroon this year. "This is the country's contribution to the global efforts against climate change," the minister said. He said tree planting is no longer an issue for professionals but everybody's concern emphasising... [read full story]