Vital Forest Graphics

A hiding place for fighting forces and a refuge for victims

7 round the world, conflicts and wars are, directly and indirectly, taking a toll on forests and the com- munities that rely on forest resources for their livelihood. Dense forests in remote areas can serve as hideouts for insurgent groups. They also provide safe haven for refugees fleeing from conflict. Both cases can result in over- exploitation of forest resources. Known cases of forests as sites of rebel camps include Colombia where left-wing guerrillas have camps deep in the Amazonian forest and in moun- tainous forest areas, and the Demo-

Around the world, conflicts and wars are taking a toll on forests and on the communities that rely on them for their livelihood. Dense forests can serve as hideouts for insurgent groups or can be as a vital source of revenue for warring parties to sustain conflict.

cratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the Garamba forest has been a rebel stronghold for nearly two dec- ades. Many other wars and conflicts, for example, in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, and the lib- eration struggles in southern Africa, were also based in and launched from forest areas. Forest resources can be a vital source of revenue, used by warring parties to finance and sustain conflict; common conflict commodities are timber and mineral resources extracted from for- est areas such as coltan, gold, diamonds

Forests in narcotics and arms trafficking areas

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18 VITAL FOREST GRAPHICS