Locals given free charcoal after seizure of 1,000 bags

At first glance, the sight of charcoal being handed out freely to ordinary households may look like an unusual reward for people who have watched their forests disappear.

But behind the generosity lies an uncomfortable question: can giving away charcoal seized from illegal dealers help end the very trade that produced it?

In northern Uganda, where charcoal has become both a source of household energy and a lucrative commercial enterprise, the answer is far from simple.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has been distributing impounded charcoal to communities,…