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Congo

In Congo, The Army Declares War On Liquor Trafficking

Bottles and pouches of Ugandan liquor
Bottles and pouches of Ugandan liquor
Paul Seru

BENI - For many years in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the military was the main seller of liquor imported from Uganda. But now soldiers have changed sides, and are now fighting those who try to import liquor into Congo.

In order to reduce the trafficking and consumption of banned liquors in the Beni region, soldiers and police forces decided to join forces last February. These banned drinks are being imported from Uganda through the city of Kasindi, in the eastern part of North Kivu. Last March, a major from the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) brought two sacks of liquor to the offices in charge of animal quarantine and veterinary services (SQAV). He asked for the bags to be destroyed publicly, an army official recalled.

“We are doing it out in the open so that the importers cease their traffic immediately, and because without knowing it, we are digging our own graves,” the army chief said.

It is an abrupt turnaround for these men in uniform, who used to devote their energies to hocking booze. Said one hotel manager: “The soldiers who sleep in my hotel used to buy alcohol in Uganda, as part of the food ration. But since February, they stopped doing it and they are cracking down on all traffic and consumption.”

In this territory, the national army is fighting militias and armed groups in a protracted civil war that touches nearly every town or village -- and part of that battle is now also over imported alcoholic beverages.

All battalion commanders have received the order to dismantle these importation networks. On the way in and out of the Beni territory, soldiers and policemen are joining efforts to implement roadblocks.

Lion-tears *beer*

The change of policy began at the end of 2012. According to Tito Bizuri, commander of the first army battalion in the 8th regiment, when they are drunk, soldiers tend to break army rules: they do not perform their guard duties, often falling asleep on their shift. In one case, a drunk officer killed four civilians on a rampage in the town of Mai Moya.

At the Beni military court, cases of rape, murder and armed robbery are often committed under the influence of alcohol. “We want to prevent any alliances between soldiers and civilians from smuggling liquor across the border,” a spokesman for the Garrison’s Prosecutor declared. “We want our troops to avoid breaking the rules, and we are also trying to keep them healthy.”

The alcohol being smuggled into Congo is usually called “beer”, and comes from small-scale factories in Uganda. These beers usually have odd names such as “machozi ya samba” (lion tears), “kill me quick”, “yoka naino” (listen to me first), “avion” (plane) or “goal”. They are sold in sachets or pouches, which makes it easy for people to carry them in their pocket and drink them while they drive their car or motorbike.

Today, the military is cooperating with civilians to uncover liquor traffickers and retailers. Informants are singling out liquor importers who hide the merchandise in food parcels. Usually, traffickers unload the liquors before entering the city, and then use motorbikes to smuggle it into Beni, as two-wheelers do not have to stop at the toll booth to enter the city.

Vehicles are being searched at every roadblock, and soldiers who refuse to join the crackdown are brought to trial. Meanwhile, retailers are brooding. A woman who wished to remain anonymous told us she was still selling liquor illegally but only to people she knew well, for fear of being arrested.

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Green

Forest Networks? Revisiting The Science Of Trees And Funghi "Reaching Out"

A compelling story about how forest fungal networks communicate has garnered much public interest. Is any of it true?

Thomas Brail films the roots of a cut tree with his smartphone.

Arborist and conservationist Thomas Brail at a clearcutting near his hometown of Mazamet in the Tarn, France.

Melanie Jones, Jason Hoeksema, & Justine Karst

Over the past few years, a fascinating narrative about forests and fungi has captured the public imagination. It holds that the roots of neighboring trees can be connected by fungal filaments, forming massive underground networks that can span entire forests — a so-called wood-wide web. Through this web, the story goes, trees share carbon, water, and other nutrients, and even send chemical warnings of dangers such as insect attacks. The narrative — recounted in books, podcasts, TV series, documentaries, and news articles — has prompted some experts to rethink not only forest management but the relationships between self-interest and altruism in human society.

But is any of it true?

The three of us have studied forest fungi for our whole careers, and even we were surprised by some of the more extraordinary claims surfacing in the media about the wood-wide web. Thinking we had missed something, we thoroughly reviewed 26 field studies, including several of our own, that looked at the role fungal networks play in resource transfer in forests. What we found shows how easily confirmation bias, unchecked claims, and credulous news reporting can, over time, distort research findings beyond recognition. It should serve as a cautionary tale for scientists and journalists alike.

First, let’s be clear: Fungi do grow inside and on tree roots, forming a symbiosis called a mycorrhiza, or fungus-root. Mycorrhizae are essential for the normal growth of trees. Among other things, the fungi can take up from the soil, and transfer to the tree, nutrients that roots could not otherwise access. In return, fungi receive from the roots sugars they need to grow.

As fungal filaments spread out through forest soil, they will often, at least temporarily, physically connect the roots of two neighboring trees. The resulting system of interconnected tree roots is called a common mycorrhizal network, or CMN.

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