Organized Crime and Instability in Central Africa: A Threat Assessment Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, 1400 Vienna, Austria Tel: +(43) (1) 26060-0, Fax: +(43) (1) 26060-5866, www.unodc.org OrgAnIzed CrIme And Instability In CenTrAl AFrica A Threat Assessment United Nations publication printed in Slovenia October 2011 – 750 October 2011 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Organized Crime and Instability in Central Africa A Threat Assessment Copyright © 2011, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Acknowledgements This study was undertaken by the UNODC Studies and Threat Analysis Section (STAS), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA). Researchers Ted Leggett (lead researcher, STAS) Jenna Dawson (STAS) Alexander Yearsley (consultant) Graphic design, mapping support and desktop publishing Suzanne Kunnen (STAS) Kristina Kuttnig (STAS) Supervision Sandeep Chawla (Director, DPA) Thibault le Pichon (Chief, STAS) The preparation of this report would not have been possible without the data and information reported by governments to UNODC and other international organizations. UNODC is particularly thankful to govern- ment and law enforcement officials met in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda while undertaking research. Special thanks go to all the UNODC staff members - at headquarters and field offices - who reviewed various sections of this report. The research team also gratefully acknowledges the information, advice and comments provided by a range of officials and experts, including those from the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO (including the UN Police and JMAC), IPIS, Small Arms Survey, Partnership Africa Canada, the Polé Institute, ITRI and many others. Financial support for this study was provided by the Governments of Sweden (through the UNODC Integrated Programme and Oversight Branch) and Canada. Disclaimers This report has not been formally edited. The content of this pulication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNODC or contributory organizations, and neither do they imply any endorsement. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNODC or the Secretariat of the United Nations concern- ing the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its author- ities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Cover pictures © Aprescindere | Dreamstime.com Website: www.unodc.org M e d i Algiers t e Tunis r r a Rabat TUNISIA n e Madeira Is. a n S e a (PORTUGAL) MOROCCO Tripoli Canary Is. Cairo (SPAIN) ALGERIA Laayoun LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA EGYPT Western Sahara R e d S e a MAURITANIA Nouakchott NIGER MALI ERITREA Dakar CHAD Khartoum Asmara SENEGAL Niamey Lake GAMBIA Bamako Chad SUDAN den Banjul of A BURKINA FASO N'Djamena Gulf Socotra Bissau DJIBOUTI (YEMEN) Ouagadougou Djibouti GUINEA- GUINEA BISSAU B E G T NIGERIA Conakry N H O ETHIOPIA CÔTE- A I Freetown G N Abuja N A O D'IVOIRE A Addis Ababa SIERRA CENTRAL SOUTH I LEONE Yamoussoukro L Monrovia Accra AFRICAN REPUBLIC SUDAN e Porto A LIBERIA m Novo Bangui o CAMEROON Juba M L O Malabo Yaoundé Lake S EQUATORIAL GUINEA UGANDA Turkana Principe Lake O Albert Kampala Mogadishu SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE Sao G Tome Libreville KENYA Sao Tome N O GABON C DEMOCRATIC RWANDA Nairobi Annobón REPUBLIC Kigali (EQUATORIAL GUINEA) Lake OF THE Victoria INDIAN OCEAN Brazzaville Bujumbura CONGO BURUNDI Kinshasa Pemba Amirante Is. Cabinda Lake Dodoma Victoria (ANGOLA) Tanganyika Zanzibar ATLANTIC UNITED REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES Ascension TANZANIA (UK) Luanda Aldabra Is. Providence Is. Lake Farquhar Is. OCEAN Nyasa Moroni Agalega Is. ANGOLA COMOROS (MAURITIUS) Lilongwe Mayotte Is. ZAMBIA MALAWI (under French R E admin.) Tromelin Lusaka U A IQ C (FRANCE) St. Helena Harare B S Cargados (UK) Lake M A Carajos Kariba Antananarivo A G MAURITIUS ZIMBABWE Z NAMIBIA A Port Louis O D M A Réunion BOTSWANA (FRANCE) M Windhoek Gaborone For the purposes of this report, “Central Africa” refers to Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the DemocraticPretoria Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Maputo 3 Mbabane SWAZILAND AFRICA Bloemfontein Maseru SOUTH LESOTHO AFRICA Cape Town 0 500 1000 km The boundaries and names shown and the designations used 0 500 1000 mi on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Map No. 4045 Rev. 5 UNITED NATIONS Department of Field Support April 2009 Cartographic Section Contents Preface 7 Main findings and recommendations 9 Executive summary 11 Introduction 19 Conflict and crime 23 Drug flows 37 Cannabis from the DRC to the region 39 Mineral resource flows 47 Tin ore from Eastern DRC via East Africa to Asia 51 Gold from DRC and CAR via East Africa to the UAE and the world 61 Diamonds from the DRC, CAR and Zimbabwe via East Africa to the world 69 Environmental resource flows 81 Timber from the DRC to East Africa 83 Wildlife from Central Africa to East Asia 89 Product flows 95 Firearms from the world to the region 97 Organized crime as a source of conflict finance and instability 101 Implications for policy 105 5 Preface The Great Lakes Region has vast resources and potential, but The DRC needs an effective criminal justice system to inves- it is overshadowed by a tragic past that influences the present. tigate, arrest, try and punish criminals who exploit institu- The Second Congo War was one of the bloodiest conflicts in tional weakness to commit crime with impunity. Developing the latter half of the twentieth century and it laid the founda- such a system is a long term project, but we can move for- tions for the present insecurity. Killing over five million ward step by step, building on initiatives already in place and people, the war displaced communities, devastated the econ- by being creative in our cooperative efforts. omy, made guns and ammunition readily available, and traumatised entire populations. The UN’s largest peacekeep- We also need to support local and international efforts to ing mission is now deployed in the Democratic Republic of undermine the financing of armed groups. The trade from the Congo (DRC), working to protect civilians and consoli- which their funding is generated has dimensions that extend date peace. well beyond Central Africa. As a result there is a shared responsibility for tackling the problem. This study proposes Although conflicts have declined markedly in the Great to contribute to supply chain security from the beginning of Lakes Region, instability continues to threaten weak state the mineral trade process. This initiative involves securing institutions. Transnational organized crime activities, and the the route from the mine site to the point of export, as well as money they generate, appear to play a significant role in clearing the transportation corridors of illegal taxation, road perpetuating the instability, lawlessness and violence, par- blocks and coerced labour. ticularly in the East of the DRC. It is estimated that in the East of the DRC, there are still between 6,500 and 13,000 To anchor the regional activities within a global framework, active members of armed groups who are benefiting from UNODC is also working with other partners to ensure that criminal activity. combating transnational organized crime is mainstreamed throughout the United Nations system. The Organized Crime and Instability in Central Africa threat assessment describes the interconnections between different Finally, I would like to thank everyone who helped in the criminal actors, outlines the various trafficking flows and preparation of this report. I hope the report will further identifies some possible options for intervention under a understanding about the nature of violence and lawlessness regional framework approach. in parts of Central Africa. Transnational organized crime is robbing the citizens in the region of their opportunities for Organized crime in the region is characterized by the exploi- stability and development. We must strengthen our collective tation of natural resources and trafficking of other products, response to ensure that they benefit from their resources and including cannabis, minerals, timber, and wildlife. It is esti- secure a peaceful future. mated that around US$200 million in gross revenues is generated from these activities. Central Africa is also one of the regions most affected by the trafficking of children into armed conflict. As the study shows, some groups, once divided by ideology, Yury Fedotov have formed coalitions of convenience founded on greed. Executive Director Those making the most money are illegal armed groups or United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime corrupt elements within the military engaged in trafficking in minerals and other forms of contraband. The illicit trade in Congolese gold is estimated at US$120 million: ten times the amount made by licit gold sales and twice the value of the country’s coffee exports. How can we respond to such challenges? While it is true that transnational organized crime puts bullets in guns, the fact that trafficking continues despite a reduction in fighting necessitates a proactive approach. We need to target the eco- nomic incentives that motivate armed groups, who continue to profit from the ongoing instability. “Conflict finance” must be redefined to include not just the money that buys bullets but also the money flows that incentivise the commis- sion of violence. 7 Main findings and recommendations • Conflict in Central Africa appears to have declined the region requires capacity-building and reform in the remarkably in recent years. The remaining instability police, courts and prisons. and violence, which predominantly affect the Eastern DRC, seem to be increasingly the result of criminal • In parallel to this long-term effort, immediate responses acts in a context of persistent lawlessness and weak are needed to undercut the financing of armed groups.