File photo of logs piled after felling. (Xinhua)

FREETOWN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The newly elected president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, on Wednesday issued a directive ordering the suspension of timber export.

According to the presidential directive issued by State House, the suspension is part of the government strategy to fight deforestation in the country.

Former president Ernest Bai Koroma suspended the export of timber in 2013, but the suspension was lifted in early 2017 in the run up to the 2018 elections.

Although timber logging has created many jobs for Sierra Leonean youth, environmental activists have welcomed the suspension and called on the government transform the suspension into a permanent ban.