The Congo Basin under siege: unmasking the hidden drivers fueling its crisis, part II

By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye

The Congo Basin, often dubbed the “lungs of Africa and beating heart of the world” forms a treasure trove of biodiversity, a critical climate regulator, and a lifeline for millions and millions. Yet, beneath its lush canopy lies a sobering reality: an escalating crisis fueled by illegal logging, rampant corruption, wildlife trafficking, and unregulated mining. Despite decades of initiatives aimed at conservation and sustainable management, the Basin’s vast natural resources are being plundered at an alarming rate, threatening its ecosystems and the livelihoods of its indigenous and local communities.

In this second part of our investigation into the drivers of the Congo Basin’s crisis, we delve deeper into the systemic challenges undermining conservation efforts. From the corruption embedded in governance structures to the advanced tactics of criminal networks exploiting regulatory loopholes, we unmask the forces that perpetuate the basin’s environmental degradation. Moreover, we explore fragmented enforcement mechanisms, the potential of technological solutions, and the roles of both local and global stakeholders in charting a path toward sustainable stewardship of this critical region.

The stakes are monumental: safeguarding the Congo Basin is not just a regional imperative but a global necessity in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. This article is built upon these major sections:

1. Illegal logging
2. Loopholes in  a fight against corruption
3. Work of defense, of the Congo Basin, compounded by attacks on journalists
4. Conclusion

This is the fifth article of “Echoes of the Earth: From the Congo Basin to the Amazon”, a reporting project— by Life In Humanity—that scrutinizes the vital role of these forests in maintaining global ecosystems, stabilizing climate in the world, and supporting local communities. This project underscores the crucial need for urgent action to protect these forests, underlining that their preservation stands essential not only for the Africa continent and the world’s biodiversity but also for humanity’s future. In this regard, the following is the list of the previous articles under this project:

1. “Rwanda’s stake in the Congo Basin’s future —a global perspective” accessible here.
2. “The heart of Africa’s climate: understanding the Congo Basin”you can reach here.
3. “The Congo Basin under siege: mounting threats to the world’s second-largest rainforest” accessible here.
4. The Congo Basin under siege: unmasking the hidden drivers fueling its crisis, part I here.

Illegal logging

In the heart of Africa lies the Congo Basin, a lush expanse of rainforests vital to the planet’s ecological balance and home to irreplaceable biodiversity. Yet, beneath this verdant canopy, a shadowy crisis unfolds—a staggering 90% of its timber is reportedly illegally sourced, driven by an intricate web of high-level crime and systemic failures. Despite laws mandating robust traceability and oversight from forest to export, enforcement remains a patchwork effort, hampered by understaffed agencies, disjointed coordination, and glaring gaps in information.

This illicit exploitation not only threatens the survival of one of the world’s largest carbon sinks but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of communities that depend on it. This makes the need for effective forest management systems an urgent imperative.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) is an academic institution within the U.S. Department of Defense established and funded by Congress for the study of security issues pertaining to Africa. It also functions as a forum for bilateral and multilateral research, communication, training, academic programs and exchange of ideas involving military and civilian participants. This center, saying that all this aligns with the aim of enhancing citizen security by strengthening the effectiveness and accountability of African institutions, released an article headlined “The Regional Security Imperative to Protect the Congo Basin” on November 4, 2024.  

The article was produced by Denis Mahonghol. He reportedly boasts 24 years’ experience in forest governance and conservation in Central Africa. His main areas of work include forestry research, trade, timber traceability and legality, forestry and wildlife law enforcement, capacity-building for public institutions in decision-making and wildlife trade monitoring (flora and fauna). Currently, Mahonghol is Director of TRAFFIC International’s Central Africa Program Office. Life In Humanity has decided to use this article, to deal with this second part.

Mahonghol says “Despite considerable efforts to improve the enforcement of forestry laws, governance, and trade in the Congo Basin countries, illegality still occurs throughout the timber supply chain. Some reports have asserted that 90 percent of the timber from the Congo Basin rainforests may be illegally sourced and facilitated by high-level crime. This is due to a combination of factors including lack of staff capacity, poor coordination with other enforcement agencies (e.g., customs), and insufficient information about the main areas of illegality in the supply chain. This underscores the importance of forest management systems to systematically track timber and timber byproducts.”

“The law in all Congo Basin countries provides guidelines on traceability along the entire supply chain—from the forest to export—for industrial and artisanal logging. Governments implement timber legality assurance systems (TLAS), revenue collection, traceability, and other functions through comprehensive timber and forest information management systems. These information management and traceability systems are all mandatory but are deployed at varying levels of sophistication across each country.”

Forests in the Congo Basin serve as the lungs and beating heart of the planet and lifelines for millions. Without decisive action to protect this vital resource now, there will occur devastating ecological and economic collapse not only regionally but also globally. Mahonghol underlines it. “Its annual net carbon dioxide absorption is six times that of the Amazon rainforest. The Congo Basin is an invaluable treasure not just for the six countries that host the bulk of the forest—Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo—but for Africa and the world. Without an intact Congo Basin, efforts to mitigate global warming and its many extreme side effects will fall short.”

However, the lack of operational traceability systems has become a glaring obstacle to sustainable timber trade management, leaving the door wide open for illicit practices to thrive and colossally threatening the basin. Mahonghol says “Congo Basin countries have initiated forest observation systems to support transparency as part of the FLEGT VPAs (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT VPA) signed with the EU to curtail the flow of illicit and unsustainable timber trade to Europe.

 Despite these agreements and modules, many Congo Basin countries continue to lack operational traceability systems, thereby preventing them from effectively controlling and monitoring the timber trade from harvest to final consumption within the country or for export,” Mahonghol has written.

Efforts to combat the illegal timber trade in the Congo Basin have sparked innovation and initiative, yet progress remains fraught with challenges. Mahonghol points out “The Gabonese government created the Forestry and Timber Industry Execution Agency (AEAFFB) in 2011 to better implement activities in the timber sector and on forest product traceability. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector actors have developed a voluntary digitally based timber traceability system that collects and publishes data, is mobile-enabled, and runs on the internet. The government, however, has not officially recognized these systems pending further review.

In the DRC, the government has initiated numerous computerized timber traceability systems since they began negotiations with the European Union (EU) on the comprehensive Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT VPA) in 2010. Between 2013 and 2015, this culminated in the development of a state-owned SIGIF and a timber traceability and legality management platform (TRABOIS). Although these systems are mandatory, they are not operational.”

Similarly in Equatorial Guinea, according Mahonghol, “The government has adopted timber tracking as one of the strategic mechanisms to ensure that national forestry resources are rationally exploited to provide sustainable tax revenues and socioeconomic development opportunities while preventing the degradation of resources.” Nonetheless, it is reported that the implementation of this system in the country has faced significant challenges including inadequate infrastructure, limited technical capacity, and difficulties enforcing regulations. These obstacles have hindered the system’s effectiveness, leaving room for illegal logging and unsustainable practices to persist.

“In the Republic of the Congo, following the signing of the FLEGT VPA with the EU in 2010, the government has been developing a computerized legality verification system (SIVL) to combat illegal logging, which has been identified as one of the critical problems impacting its forestry sector. Although the needed modules are developed and embedded in the Ministry of Finance and Budget data center, the system is not yet operational.

In CAR, the government has conceived of a dedicated TLAS. This includes traceability components for tracking timber along the supply chain—from harvest to export—as well as compliance and computerization tools for real-time access and control. Still, this system has yet to be developed and deployed.”

Key obstacles, according to Mahonghol, include the acquisition and installation of needed equipment, training of actors and stakeholders, and overcoming hesitancy and resistance from timber operators over additional costs without perceived improved efficiencies. He recommends the Congo Basin countries to replicate Tanzania’s system. “The timber tracking system developed by the Tanzania Forest Services Agency provides a practical, cost-effective, and scalable model that can be replicated in the Congo Basin region.

The system is easily accessible via mobile devices programmed with pre-customized selection options, reducing human error. This ensures chain of custody tracking by enabling monitors’ access to inspection reports from other checkpoints. It also allows real-time data access at the headquarters to enhance control, encourage diligence, and maintain a quality database.”

He emphasizes upon law enforcement coordination and information sharing. “It is often said that whoever has the information has the power. In the context of ILAT in the Congo Basin, organized criminals are typically one step ahead of politicians and law enforcement officers when it comes to information. To combat ILAT, information gathering, management, and use is critical. Criminals have developed effective information systems drawing from a network of informants on the ground working cooperatively and exploiting leakages in the regulatory frameworks.

Defeating established criminal networks requires consistent and quality coordination and information exchanges between those entrusted to enforce the law within a country as well as between counterparts across borders to address security issues between countries. In practical terms, such interdepartmental and intergovernmental coordination to share knowledge and solve problems often comes down to strong relationships rather than just formal mechanisms.”

Loopholes in a fight against corruption

Countries rich in natural resources, particularly in the Congo Basin, are often said to struggle with endemic corruption and weak accountability. These challenges reportedly arise from the control government officials wield over access to valuable resources, such as timber which serves as a significant revenue stream. This control fosters a cycle of self-enrichment and political impunity, with little incentive to implement or enforce stronger oversight mechanisms.

Mahonghol underscores it. “Countries with abundant natural resources often face endemic corruption and weak accountability. This is because natural resources provide a ready revenue stream to which government officials can control access—benefiting themselves and their commercial partners. These officials, in turn, have little incentive to strengthen oversight and enforcement mechanisms allowing the natural resource exploitation, self-enrichment, and political impunity cycle to grow progressively more powerful.

 Investigations in the Republic of the Congo have revealed that timber companies routinely bribe ministers and other senior officials to illegally obtain timber concessions, avoid penalties for overharvesting, and export in excess of quotas. In the DRC, similarly, the government revealed that many logging concessions had been allocated through influence peddling in breach of the country’s laws. Among the leading offenders was the logging company Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development owned by China-based Wan Peng International.”

Opaque corporate structures are business frameworks designed to hide the true ownership and control of a company. These structures often use complex layers of subsidiaries, shell companies, or off-shore accounts to obscure the identities of the beneficial owners, rendering it difficult to trace accountability or ownership. This lack of transparency can enable illegal or unethical practices, as it becomes harder to hold individuals or entities responsible for their actions.

Secrecy jurisdictions are countries or regions that apply laws allowing businesses or individuals to conceal financial information and avoid regulation, taxes, or legal scrutiny. These jurisdictions typically enforce strict privacy laws that shield the identities of company owners or operators, which can facilitate activities like money laundering, tax evasion, or in this case, illegal logging and deforestation.

Together, opaque corporate structures and secrecy jurisdictions make it easier for companies involved in illegal activities—such as deforestation in the Congo Basin—to operate without being held accountable. They obscure the financial flows, making it difficult for authorities to track and stop illicit activities effectively. For example, through complex webs of shell companies (business entities existing primarily on paper and with little or no active operations or assets), it becomes difficult to trace the ultimate beneficial owners of a company to hold accountable.

Mahonghol points out “Opaque corporate structures and secrecy jurisdictions including in Hong Kong and Dubai also facilitate deforestation in the region by allowing companies to obscure their beneficial owners and to avoid taxes and regulation. This illicit political economy surrounding forestry exploitation in the Congo Basin is well entrenched.

In Cameroon, for example, the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife is ranked among the 10 most corrupt out of 150 government agencies. Cameroon, in turn, rates better on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index than nearly every other country in the Congo Basin region. The region as a whole has a median ranking of 157 (out of 180 countries). The region’s corruption crisis, therefore, is at the heart of the illegal exploitation of the Congo Basin’s forests.”

Corruption in the Congo Basin forests exposes vulnerable local communities and indigenous groups to environmental devastation, jeopardizing their livelihoods and safety.  Mahonghol says “Local communities and indigenous groups are particularly vulnerable to corruption in the Congo Basin forests. From officials accepting kickbacks to private and public sector collusion on opaque resource extraction contracts, corruption provokes environmental degradation and destroys local livelihoods. Making concrete gains on environmental protection will depend on greater transparency and independent oversight.

 Work of defense, of the Congo Basin, compounded by attacks on journalists

Illicit logging in the Congo Basin poses not only an environmental threat but also a grave danger to those fighting for its protection. Environmental defenders, especially journalists, face harassment, assault, and even death, turning environmental journalism into one of the most perilous fields globally, second only to war reporting.

This issue is confirmed by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). In its 3 May 2024 article entitled “Saving lives and truth: why protecting environmental journalists matters more than ever”, UNEP says “In recent years, a growing number of environmental journalists have faced harassment, assault and even murder. Research suggests that more than dozens of environmental journalists were killed in the past two decades, making it the most dangerous journalism field after war reporting.”

“It is not just traditional reporters who face reprisals. Also facing threats are citizen journalists, many of whom are Indigenous Peoples trying to protect their land from predatory corporations and local authorities. According to the environmental group Global Witness, 1,910 land and environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2022.”

Andrew Raine, Deputy Director of the UNEP) Law Division says “As we see the climate crisis worsening and more pressure being put on land and resources, we may see an even harsher clampdown on environmental journalists.”

Mahonghol echoes the point, while journalists are expected to play a considerable role. “Illicit logging is also deadly for environmental defenders worldwide. Environmental journalists are frequently harassed, assaulted, and killed, making it the most dangerous field of journalism after war reporting. This underscores that criminal networks are often behind rainforest exploitation. Surveys show 70 percent of environmental journalists have been attacked for their work.

Yet, it is only by investigating and exposing environmental violations (and the collusion by public officials that often goes along with it) that citizens can be informed of these illegal activities and how public resources are being misdirected. Achieving global climate and biodiversity objectives will require tackling the hydra of corruption.”

Despite the presence of anticorruption units in most Congo Basin countries, political influence and collusion often prevent illegal logging cases from reaching convictions, according to Mahonghol. “In most countries, national anticorruption units exist but are rarely enforced. At times, investigators can track corruption activities involving illegal logging on the ground, report on them, and transmit them to the public prosecutor for criminal prosecution. Yet, few cases lead to convictions due to the political influence of officials colluding with the illicit logging activities.”

Increased collaboration between Congo Basin forestry ministries and international trade associations is being formed, to execute logging transparency, but Mahonghol underlines that stronger legal enforcement is still needed. “Forestry ministries in Congo Basin countries are working increasingly with foreign trade associations such as the China Wood and Timber Product Distribution Association (CTWPDA) to uphold standards to enhance the transparency and the legality of their extraction of logging resources from Central Africa. Such agreements will also subject foreign firms to sanctions for violations.

Although most Congo Basin countries have now established the legal frameworks to counter corruption, more work is needed to ensure the enforcement of these frameworks. This will require enacting severe penalties for corruption around illegal logging, thereby diminishing the impunity currently enjoyed by senior officials who are complicit.”

Conclusion

Despite international efforts, alarming statistics underscore the ongoing devastation of the Congo Basin forests, with dire global consequences. Mahonghol says “Yet, estimates are that the Congo Basin forests are shrinking by 1 to 5 percent a year and that 30 percent of forest cover has been lost since 2000, largely due to unregulated commercial logging and mining. The annual degradation in the DRC’s rainforest alone results in carbon emissions equivalent to 50 coal-fired power plants operating for a full year. 

These figures may be significant underestimates as satellite imagery and on-the-ground monitoring are currently insufficient to establish a reliable baseline. What is known is that 50 million hectares (or a quarter of the Congo Basin rainforests) are already under logging concessions. Estimates are that illegal logging and associated trade (ILAT) from the plundering of the region’s valuable forest resources is costing the continent $17 billion annually.”

He adds “Illegal logging also threatens the 30 billion metric tons of carbon stored by the Congo Basin—the equivalent of 3 years of global fossil fuel emissions. The annual carbon sequestration value of the Congo Basin rainforests is estimated to be $55 billion, or more than a third of the region’s GDP. With approximately 10,000 species of tropical plants—30 percent of which are unique to the region—the region also holds extraordinary importance for global biodiversity.”