Senegalese president calls illegal logging 'a catastrophe'

Senegal's President Macky Sall has promised to increase the penalties for people caught smuggling timber out of his country.

He was speaking on the sidelines of talks between Senegal and its neigbour, The Gambia.

He called the illegal timber trade "a catastrophe" which is "decimating our forests, destroying biodiversity and endangering the live conditions of our population".

He was speaking days after a BBC Africa Eye investigation found that, even though it is illegal to fell or export rosewood in Senegal, the trees were being logged at an alarming rate.

The investigation found trees were being taken from forests in the southern region of Casamance and smuggled through the port in The Gambia all the way to China.

Senegal's Foreign Minister Amadou Ba added that a "large amount" of timber had already been seized and was being stored at the border of the two countries.

The two countries have agreed to carry out joint patrols, he added.