proceeds. It is estimated5 (by Chatham Illegal Logging in SSA by FCN House), that around 30% of the worlds timber Forests are home to about 80% of the world’s production (from 9 main tropical forest terrestrial biodiversity and are under threat, producer countries) is illicit and that nearly with rates of deforestation at unsustainable 10% of imports into consumer countries are levels. A significant contributor is due to from illegal sources. In some tropical forest illegal logging carried out by criminal countries illicit production reaches levels of enterprises fuelled and 50-90%, for example Total Criminal Proceeds in Sub facilitated by corruption. Chatham House believes Saharan in US$ Billions FCN 2020 that illegal logging is In Africa, 90% of wood endemic in consumed is used for wood approximately (65%), Ghana Mining Fishing fuel or charcoal, which 10 2.5 Wildlife (70%), Republic of Congo generated US$6.1–24.5 billion 2 Goods Piracy 9 (75%) and DRC (90%). The 1 in 2013 , and 90% is produced Logging 12.5 largest 3 countries importing in tropical areas, where illegal Modern Slavery 8.3 logging from Ghana (India, 2 logging is at its highest For Drugs China, US) are from Theft 3 East, Central and West Africa, 15 Cameroon, (China, Vietnam, the net profits from dealing US), from Ghana (China, and taxing unregulated, illicit Timber Exports from SSA - World Bank - 2018 India, US), from Republic of or illegal charcoal combined Congo (Vietnam, France, is estimated at a range of South Africa China) & from DRC (Vietnam, Sweden 3 11% Germany US$2.4–9 billion , including 11% 4% Portugal US, China). Whilst illegal 3% by terrorists such as Al UK 12% logging rates are some of Shabaab who makes between the highest in SSA, the US$38 and US$56 million a China 11% region exports only about Others 40% year. India 5% 3% of the worlds total

US exports. Nevertheless, with According to the Organised 4% Crime Index4, (OCI) countries 25% of SSA covered by most affected by Illegal forests the Congo basin, the logging are , CAR, DRC, & second largest tropical rainforest in the world, the threat is not simply to in Central Africa, Mozambique in conservation, but also crime and security too. Southern Africa & Madagascar & Zambia in Eastern Africa. Whilst most of the timber felled in SSA is for domestic or regional consumption, the Of all the so called “green” crimes, illegal export trade is very lucrative. According to logging is likely to generate the most in illicit

1 See: https://www.grida.no/resources/7497 2 See: https://www.earthworm.org/news-stories/transforming-the-charcoal-industry 3 See: https://gridarendal-website-live.s3.amazonaws.com/production/documents/:s_document/128/original/RRAcrimecrisis.pdf?1483646648 4 See: https://ocindex.net 5 See: https://forestgovernance.chathamhouse.org the World Bank6, timber exports from SSA in (2.75%). In aggregate, the African 2018 were valued at US$7 billion, with the Development Bank and African Natural largest importers being the UK (13%), China Resources Centre in 2016 reported the value (12%), South Africa (12%), India (5.5%), of illegal logging at US$13 billion7 for Africa. Germany (4%), (US 4%), Portugal & Sweden Extracts from Individual Country Threat Assessments by FCN

The following extracts are taken from Deep Dive Threat Assessments on Sub Saharan African Countries relating to Illegal Logging: For more details see: https:// thefinancialcrimenews.com/topics/ssa-threat-assessment/

The Gambia: Whilst more than 40% of the Gambia is classified as forest land, only 10% is made up of woodland, down over the last decades, when the Country was covered in pristine forests. The Gambia is nevertheless almost entirely surrounded by Senegal which had abundant forests and high quality timber types such as desirable rosewood.

According to the OC Index, not only is illegal logging the most pervasive criminal market in the Gambia (7/10), along with Human Trafficking, it is also the most prevalent in neighbouring Senegal too (7/10), with activity growing significantly in the last decade, and trafficking routes extending to the southern borders of the Gambia with Senegal and supply chains running from Guinea Bissau through Senegal and Gambia’s capital, Banjul and then onwards to Asian export markets.

The OCI index states that, “the Casamance Forest, along the Gambian border, has been decimated by the illegal logging activities of both rebel forces in the country and foreign actors. The destruction of the forest has had a severe detrimental impact on the living conditions of the population, who depended largely on agriculture and tourism. However, since the fall of Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, who played a major role in the illegal timber industry, the Senegalese government has made genuine efforts to strengthen governance over the Casamance region.”

To date the Casamance Region has lost over a third of its forest or approx 1 million trees, due to a combination of actors including Senegalese and Gambian businessmen, Indian and Chinese traders, and also the local population, particularly the movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), a separatist group that has been fighting for independence since 1982, sustaining itself largely through timber trafficking.

6 See: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/SSF/Year/2018/TradeFlow/Import/Partner/all/Product/44-49_Wood/Show/Partner%20Name;MPRT-TRD-VL;MPRT- PRDCT-SHR;AHS-WGHTD-AVRG;MFN-WGHTD-AVRG;/Sort/MPRT-TRD-VL/Chart/top10 7 See: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Events/IFF/Documents_IFF/ANRC_ILLICIT_TRADE_IN_NATURAL_RESOURCES.pdf According to the Africa’s OC Index, “it is estimated that more than 70% of the total timber harvested is unaccounted for, including high-value protected species. This causes huge losses in govt revenue and biodiversity.”

After Nigeria, the Gambia is West Africa’s second largest exporter of timber to China. Between 2010 and 2015, the Country’s export of rosewood to China was worth an estimated US$238.5 million8.

Ivory Coast: According to the OCI9, “the country has one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa, and although most of the forest loss is a result of farming practices, there is substantial deforestation caused by illegal logging perpetrated by criminal networks. Furthermore, in recent years, timber has been used as an obfuscation method for illicit wildlife trafficking out of the country's maritime ports, such as Abidjan.” It has been estimated that up to 40% of cocoa farming is from coca trees, that have replaced the natural habitat in protected areas10.

Nigeria: The illegal trade in rosewood is probably the most lucrative form of wildlife crime, with demand high for luxury furniture around the world, but particularly in China and South East Asia. Having decimated most rosewood forests in South East Asia and Central America, criminals began focussing on Nigeria for new supplies. Native West African rosewood known as “kosso” – has most likely become the most traded tropical hardwood species in the world, despite its listing as a threatened species by CITES (Appendix III in May 2016 & then Appendix II effective January 2017). According to a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in 201711, “most of the billions of dollars worth of wood exported by Nigeria over the past four years was illegal: harvested and/or exported in contravention of state and/or federal laws. The rosewood trade may have benefited the terrorist group Boko Haram.”

Key findings in the EIA report also revealed that “evidence strongly indicates that over 1.4 million kosso logs, worth about US$300 million, were stopped by Chinese customs officials in 2016, then released in 2017, after Nigerian CITES authorities retrospectively issued approximately 4,000 permits”. The retrospective issuance of theses permits are reported to be “the result of a grand corruption scheme that involves over a million dollars paid by influential Chinese and Nigerian businessmen to senior Nigerian officials, with the alleged help of Chinese consulate”.

CITES reviewed the findings of the report related to illegal Nigerian rosewood logging, and instituted a suspension in this trade in 2018.

Malawi: Surging demand for charcoal in Malawi’s cities is the prime driver for deforestation in Malawi, with only 1 in 10 Malawian’s connected to an unreliable grid, most households turning

8 See: https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-silent-destruction-of-senegals-last-forests 9 See: https://ocindex.net/country/cote-divoire/ 10 See: http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/chocolates_dark_secret_english_web.pdf/ 11 See: https://content.eia-global.org/assets/2017/rosewood-racket/PDF/Rosewood+Racket+Report+(High+Res).pdf to this so-called “black gold” for cooking, leading to a 2.8% reduction per year in the country's forests. Malawi has banned the production, transport and sale of charcoal, unless it is sustainably sourced. Nevertheless, the illegal trade is booming, with estimates of the value of this trade at US$45 million a year, employing around 100,000 people, making it possibly the third largest industry after tobacco and tea12.

Malawi’s government has started taking action to address the potentially disastrous trend by investing in long-term solutions for natural resource management. Malawi had pledged to restore 4.5 million hectares by 2030, and has published a national framework for measuring progress on restoration13.

In 2017, government took action against 35 illegal loggers who were given sentences of between 12 and 18 months hard labour in prison, and assets to the value of $500,000 were confiscated. The estimated damage was approximately one million protected Mopane trees that were cut down, estimated to be valued at US$37 million within a year14.

Tanzania: A majority of Tanzanians rely on wood for their energy needs, and forests are targeted and trees felled illegally, causing deforestation. According to the Africa’s OCI, “Illegal logging is of particular concern, where it is estimated that more than 70% of the total timber harvested is unaccounted for, including high-value protected species. This causes huge losses in government revenue and biodiversity.” Based on 2017 exports, of US$65 million15, the value of illegal logging in Tanzania is estimated at least US$46 million.

Zambia: Over 60% of Zambia’s land area is covered by forests, which according to GIATOC16, includes high-value wood species where “destruction of hardwood tree species is severe.” They also report that “Zambia also plays an important role as a transit country for illegally logged products, with illicit timber often trafficked from the DRC, through Zambia and the Caprivi Strip into Namibia, before being shipped to Asian markets.”

According to the Zambian Financial Intelligence Centre ML/TF Trends Report 201817,concerns continue around timber sales, particularly in regions where endangered Rosewood “Mukula” is indigenous. The FIC has analysed cases in which individuals trading in the prohibited Mukula declared timber as their source of funds. In 2018, the Centre received Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) related to timber valued at ZMW 2,156,000. Many of the individuals in the illegal trade of Mukula established other businesses through which these proceeds were laundered. The areas most affected were Manyinga and Mufumbwe in North Western Province. The FIC

12 See: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/feb/23/illegal-logging-in-malawi-can-clean-cooking-stoves-save-its-forests 13 See: https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/12/malawi-putting-its-money-where-its-forests-are 14 See: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malawi-deforestation-prosecution/in-crackdown-malawi-jails-35-illegal-loggers-seized-in-national-park-idUSKBN1871J1 15 See: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/TZA/Year/LTST/TradeFlow/Export/Partner/by-country/Product/44-49_Wood 16 See: https://ocindex.net/country/zambia https://ocindex.net/assets/downloads/ocindex_profile_zambia.pdf 17 See: https://www.fic.gov.zm/component/attachments/download/64 further noted that foreign nationals continued to engage locals to illegally harvest the endangered trees for subsequent transportation out of the country, mostly to Asia

Zimbabwe: Approximately 40% of Zimbabwe’s land area is forested, of which 5% is considered as primary forest, with deforestation a major problem18. Nevertheless, whilst illegal logging is a contributor, much of the illegal logging is mainly due to demand for local firewood, rather than by organised criminal gangs for export. Illegal logging scores only 4/10 in the OC Index for Zimbabwe.

Kenya: A 2018 Taskforce report issued by the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry19 reported that Kenya’s forest cover is estimated to be about 7.4% of the total land area, which falls short of the recommended global minimum of 10%. The report warns that Kenya’s forests have been “depleted at an alarming rate at about 5,000 hectares per annum” and this has led to a reduction in water availability which results in economic loss to the economy of USD19 million a year.

A moratorium on logging was subsequently put in place to facilitate the rehabilitation of the forests. Notwithstanding this, media reports in May 201920 reported that an arial view by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) revealed “massive illegal logging and charcoal burning in the hearts of Maasai Mau and Olpusimoru forests”, resulting in the felling of Podo, Olea Africana and Red Cedar indigenous trees. KFS said that syndicates are working with loggers and that they were taking action to prosecute them. It was reported that “since the moratorium was announced, 2,325 people have been arrested and arraigned for having 16,527 bags of charcoal and 18 tones of timber”.

18 See: http://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/current-assessment/en/ 19 See: http://www.environment.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Task-Force-Report.pdf 20 See: https://allafrica.com/stories/201905150071.html