48
Exploitation of natural resources during conflicts
Parks, biodiversity hotspots, and other vulnerable habitats are
increasingly being exploited by poachers, including a range of
militias and other non-state armed groups. These groups raise
funds through the exploitation of wildlife resources including
ivory, rhinoceros horn, tiger pelts, shahtoosh (wool from the
Chiru or Tibetan antelope (
Pantholops hodgsonii
), and timber.
Throughout Central and Southern Africa, armed groups capi-
talize on poaching and timber exploitation to fuel a variety of
armed movements. The Sudanese Janjaweed and the Lord’s
Resistance Army (LRA) poach elephants throughout Central
Africa and neighboring countries. Dozens of militia groups kill
elephants and hippopotamuses, harvest timber, and produce or
tax charcoal, all to finance conflict in the Democratic Republic
of Congo and in neighboring countries. The Mozambican
National Resistance (RENAMO) has been accused of poaching
elephants and rhinos to fund their resurgent insurgency.
53
Likewise in Asia, exploitation of wildlife supports a number
of non-state armed groups. Al Qaeda affiliated local Bangla-
deshi separatists and other tribal militias in India have been
reported to be implicated in the illegal trade in ivory, tiger
pelts, and rhino horns in Southeast Asia.
54
Al Qaeda and the
Haqqani network have been accused of raising funds through
timber exploitation and trade.
55
Despite the increased awareness of the connections between
wildlife crime and threat finance this is not a new phenom-
enon. Criminals may also exploit ongoing conflicts, blaming
fighting parties for the poaching, or the other way around. Typi-
cally, armed militias try to take control over valuable natural
resources in their territory and will fiercely oppose anyone
interfering or competing. However, the farther other poachers
or criminals are from the centre of conflict zones, the more
likely is the probability that they will blame the illegal exploita-
tion of natural resources also on fighting parties, especially as
terrorists and militias are unlikely to counter the accusations.
As many as 40% of intrastate conflicts over the past sixty
years have been linked to natural resources.
56
Of the 34 biodi-
versity hotpots identified across the world, 80% saw signifi-
cant conflict during roughly the same period.
57
In the 1970s,
over 100,000 elephants were allegedly killed to fund civil
wars in Angola and Mozambique.
58
Charles Taylor utilized
timber as a key source of funding in all phases of Liberia’s
civil war.
59
Timber resources helped fund the Khmer Rouge
in Cambodia, and played a role in conflicts in Burma, Cote
d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
60
Armed groups make money through: direct control of
resources such as timber concessions; leasing concessions
