By Estacio Valoi
Pursuing our investigation we found out that person who was the mysterious trader, said to be based in one of the Gulf states, one who, according to the whistle-blowing AQUA officials, “phones the Sofala prosecutor’s office” to make illegal logging cases go away is the lebanese man who imports timber from Beira to China in guangzhou , port of Shatian, his name is Nazih Safi who recently saw his timber licenses revoked by the Mozambican government. https://www.zammagazine.com/investigations/1864-into-the-woods-ii
Months ago the officials also say that this trader, whose name they don’t know, receives units of illegally cut wood directly from the Quirimbas Park management, which in turn “receives it from the Chinese loggers as a gift” in exchange for turning a blind eye to their practices in the nature reserve. The trader then ships it off from Mozambique’s Beira port, they add. Fellow journalists in Beira confirm that they have heard of the man. They don’t know his name either, but say he frequents Beira’s high-end restaurants “often in the company of the son of President Nyusi”
About a weeks later, the editor of a trading newsletter in the capital Maputo calls me. He says he has been contacted by the foreign trader in question, who wants to keep himself out of the story. “He wants to know how much money you want.” The editor also does not want to mention the name of “his contact,” but in the discussion it becomes clear that it is the same man. I pretend to consider the offer, then ask if we can send a few interview questions instead. The editor promises to pass the questions on but comes back to say that “the contact” does not want to talk at all.
Was that real or a scheme? It would not be the first time in Mozambique that someone tried to put himself in between a journalist and their story, manipulating both sides, extorting the subject of the story, and hoping to pocket the lion’s share of the blackmail money himself. Whatever the case may be, the name of the timber trader from the Gulf who is often seen with Mozambique’s president will remain a mystery for now.
in a press release entitled “FEDEMOMA congratulates MAAP’s courageous decision to suspend timber exports due to inconsistencies” in this case SAFI company who the owner is the Lebanese timber smuggler it also says:
“ Maputo, August 18, 2025 – The Mozambican Federation of Timber Operators (FEDEMOMA) expresses its full support for the decision of His Excellency Roberto Mito Albino, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), to suspend, with immediate effect, the native timber export license (Export Certificate No. 01/MTA/2025) granted to the company SAFI TIMBER, Import & Export, E.I.
The measure, officially announced on August 6, 2025, was taken after the detection of serious inconsistencies between the inspection reports and the timber processing data declared by the Sofala Provincial Environmental Services.
The measure, officially announced on August 6, 2025, was taken after serious inconsistencies were detected between the inspection reports and the timber processing data declared by the Sofala Provincial Environmental Services.
This decision demonstrates MAAP’s serious and unequivocal commitment to transparency, legality, and the protection of Mozambique’s forest resources.
In a sector often associated with illegal logging practices and weak oversight, Minister Roberto Albino’s stance represents a courageous act and a decisive step toward good governance of the country’s natural resources.
Furthermore, the decision to make the resumption of exports conditional on a rigorous multisectoral inspection reinforces the Government’s commitment to ensuring that only legally and sustainably harvested timber can be exported.
“This is not just an administrative decision; it is an unequivocal declaration that the era of impunity in the exploitation of our forests is coming to an end. We salute the courage of the Minister and his Executive and call for this stance of rigor and zero tolerance to be extended to the entire sector, so that
“FEDEMOMA also urges the relevant entities, namely the Environmental Quality Control Agency (AQUA) and Mozambique Customs, to act with the utmost diligence in the announced inspection, ensuring that the results are made public.”
“Civil society, communities, and law-abiding operators must be united in supporting these measures, which aim to protect a resource that belongs to us all,” stated Jorge Chacate, President of FEDEMOMA.
FEDEMOMA reiterates its unconditional support for the MAAP and hopes that this decision will serve as an example, inspiring increasingly comprehensive, effective, and transparent inspection throughout the country.
The Mozambican Federation of Timber Operators (FEDEMOMA) is the main representative organization of licensed operators in the timber sector in Mozambique. Its mission is to promote the sustainable management of resources. forestry, legality, good business practices, and the development of the sector for the benefit of the country. President Jorge Chacate”.
Safi did and still trying all the ways to undermine or to force the agriculture department to give him back his licenses but this situation seems worse as our sources describes the situation .
“SAFI is firing in all directions. He’s in trouble now. The AQUA delegate in Cabo Delgado is leaving. The Lebanese man can’t enter Mozambique. They won’t let him in at Immigration… He’s doing everything he can to destabilize the Ministry of the Environment,” our sources conclude!
During our investigations, we exposed various attempts to strengthen the smuggling network. Another attempt involved exposing the current National Director for his involvement in smuggling and his timber company.
In a video we have, in his statement , the president of FEDEMONA said in his reaction:
“ From the National Forest Forum, we reviewed data from the Ministry of Land and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries from 2021 to the present and concluded that it was not the National Director of Forestry and Wildlife who issued the processed timber export certificate for those two well-known and well-known companies. After all, the previous minister Ivete Joaquim maibaze) had already issued the export certificate for that company because they were dedicated to exporting timber. The current Minister of Environment and Fisheries, the current one in 2025, also issued the same certificate because that company is dedicated to exporting processed timber within the country. Informants, likely manipulators of bad faith against the National Director of Forestry, have been issuing and circulating information claiming that the National Director of Forestry and Wildlife, Imede Falume, issued processed timber authorizations for these companies, which is not true. And, not only is it not true, but it is also very false and only tarnishes the director’s image. We, as the National Forest Forum, express our displeasure and our repudiation of the circulation of this information that aims to tarnish the Mozambican authorities.” Said Chacate (Moz24h)
