75
Role of wood and illegal wildlife trade for
threat finance
The illegal charcoal trade alone involves a direct loss of revenues of USD 1.9 billion
to African countries annually. And this revenue often funds criminal networks.
Furthermore, with current urbanization trends, households are switching from
woodfuel to the affordable and readily accessible charcoal. This, in turn, without
any regulation at all, represents a major threat of further evolution of organized
crime involved in the illicit charcoal business. The favourable charcoal market
conditions and the absence of regulation of the trade in practice constitute an
open invitation for non-state armed groups to take control of the trade, which is
enabling them with a substantial purchasing power.
Overall, militias across the continent create incomes
through the trafficking and particularly control of the road
network, ports, strategic trade points and border crossings
with anything from common commodities to high-value
products, of which common goods like charcoal remain
of particular importance for incomes to both high and low
levels militias.
Prices on ivory are based on both cited reports and reports from
rangers and Anti-poaching Units gathered informally during
interviews as part of the trainings conducted under UNODC
and INTERPOL (ca. 39 APU commanders or staff members
interviewed informally from Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda,
Kenya, Mozambique during training sessions 2011–2013).
The prices are typically in the range of USD 150–400 per kg.
These prices are far lower than quoted in the end-market in
Asia, such as around USD 750 per kg of raw ivory in China.
153
There are examples of frontline poachers being paid USD 70
per kg. Quoted ranges are from USD 70–550 with a median
of USD 150–400 per kg raw ivory.
Taxation system in eastern DR Congo conflict zone
Part of CNDP incomes from local resources
0
20
40
60
80
100
US dollars, 2008
50 kg sack of cement traded
30 kg bag of charcoal on sale in local markets
50 kg bag of coltan exported
Mud or straw house, per year
Iron roof house, per year
Small business owner, per year
Car passing check point
Small truck passing check point
Source: UN Security council, S/2008/773.
Big truck passing check point
Figure 14:
Militias, as here from DRC, put considerable emphasis upon controlling entrance roads to cities and the rod network,
as well as ports, in order to tax any good passing. Here, charcoal, being the primary energy supply to cities and thus abundant in
large volumes, automatically becomes a significant source of income to militias.
