KAMPALA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has launched a paramilitary force to enforce environmental laws and avert related crimes in the country, authorities said Friday.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the state-owned environmental watchdog, said that the Environment Protection Force (EPF) was formed in line with the country's laws.

The force will perform functions such as 24-hour surveillance of the environment, detection and investigation of environmental crime, and monitoring and enforcing compliance with related laws.

"The force will work closely with the Uganda police force, army, wildlife rangers and the intelligence community," NEMA said. "The launch of the force demonstrates the government's commitment to environmental conservation. It is also a significant step towards effective environmental protection and management in Uganda."

According to NEMA, some of the most common environmental crimes in Uganda include failure to undertake social impact assessments, forgery of impact assessment certificates, illegal mining, lakeshore encroachment, logging, littering, noise pollution and wetland encroachment, among others. Enditem

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