How poaching funds terror in East Africa

Transnational criminal organisations are making immense profits by exploiting East Africa's natural resources to fuel their illicit activities, threatening the stability and future development of some of the world’s poorest regions. PHOTO|FILE 

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These methods effectively bypass many customs efforts to restrict the import of illegal tropical wood to the United States and to the European Union.

Terrorist and militant groups operating in East Africa make tens of millions of dollars annually out of poaching and illegal trade in forest products, according to a new report.

One group is estimated to make between $38 million and $56 million per year from the illegal trade in charcoal alone, says the report by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and Interpol.

Although the report did not mention the terrorist group, the latest events in the region point to the Islamist Al Shabaab insurgents based in Somalia who have killed hundreds of Kenyans in recent attacks.

The report titled The Environmental Crime Crisis, A Rapid Response Assessment, was released Tuesday at the first United Nations Environment Assembly (Unea) in Nairobi.

Action against environmental crime, which includes the illegal trade in wildlife and timber products, is high on the agenda of hundreds of environment ministers, law enforcement officers, the judiciary and senior UN officials at the meeting.

In total, the report says, militia and terrorist groups in and around African nations with ongoing conflicts may earn $111 to $289 million annually from their involvement in and taxing of the illegal or unregulated charcoal trade.

Global environmental crime, worth up to $213 billion each year, is reportedly helping finance criminals, militia and terrorist groups and threatening the security and sustainable development of many nations.

“Beyond immediate environmental impacts, the illegal trade in natural resources is depriving developing economies of billions of dollars in lost revenues just to fill the pockets of criminals,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

CLICK HERE to read the full report in The Citizen.