The Rise of Environmental Crime: A Growing Threat to Natural Resources, Peace, Development and Security

Environmental crime and threat finance to terrorism and conflicts Both non-state armed groups, terrorist groups and other networks thrive on the exploitation of natural resources to fund their activities. Examples include Taliban funded by drugs, 172 Janjaweed operating from Darfur into CAR and DRC, and LRA in DRC poaching elephants. 173 At least 40 percent of internal conflicts in the last 60 years have a link to natural resources. 174

SOUTH SUDAN

similar to what is done by non-state armed groups in DRC. FARC generate incomes by taxing coltan and an estimated 12 million USD annually by extorting illegal gold miners. 175 In the Trans-Sahara, armed groups are smuggling drugs, cigarettes, Juba

Prior to African Union’s intervention in Somalia made 38–56 million USD annually on the illicit charcoal trade, in circum- vention of sanctions and ban by the UN Security Council. In the Amazon, armed groups are taxing both timber and coltan,

Onaba

Nimule

Arua

SOUTH SUDAN Watsa

Isiro

Juba

UGANDA

NORTH KIVU

Lake Albert

Onaba

KENYA

Bunia

Nimule

Bafwasende

Arua

Tororo

Beni

Watsa

Isiro

Kisangani

Butembo

UGANDA

Kampala

Lake Edward

NORTH KIVU

Lake Albert

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Lake Victoria

KENYA

Bunia

Bafwasende

Nairobi

Tororo

RWANDA

Beni

Lake Kivu

Kisangani

Kigali

Butembo

Kampala

To Mombasa

Bukavu

Lake Edward

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Kindu

BURUNDI

Mwenga

Lake Victoria

Uvira

Kampene

Bujumbura

Nairobi

RWANDA

Lake Kivu

SOUTH KIVU

Fizi Banaka

Kigali

To Mombasa

Bukavu

TANZANIA

BURUNDI Kigoma

Kindu

Mwenga

Uvira

Kampene

Bujumbura

Lake Tanganyika

SOUTH KIVU

Fizi Banaka

Wood and charcoal

Mining

Armed groups Local airport

Gold Cassiterite Diamond Wolframite Coltan Copper

Degraded forest and charcoal production

TANZANIA

Main road

Kigoma

Charcoal Smuggling routes Wood

Lake Tanganyika

Source: Norwegian Center For Global Analysis, 2015; MONUSCO; International Peace Information Service (IPIS) 2014.

Border crossing point

Figure 12: Smuggling by transnational organized crime from eastern DRC to criminal groups, companies or individuals in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Armed groups Mining Wood and charcoal

Gold Cassiterite Diamond Wolframite Coltan

Degraded forest and charcoal production

Local airport

Main road

Charcoal Smuggling routes Wood

67

Source: Norwegian Center For Global