How Congo’s timber is smuggled through Uganda

The Pulitzer Center Rainforest Investigations Network, in collaboration with The Africa Report, has launched an exclusive four-part investigation into timber trafficking in East Africa, spot-lighting Uganda’s role in this regional crisis.

This comprehensive probe unveils the exploitation of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) north-east, facilitating the illegal trade of its protected hardwoods. Key East African Community economies, including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania are found to benefit from this illicit trade, contradicting their environmental commitments.

At the heart of this shadowy network are influential figures linked to security services and politicians across East Africa, including Uganda. They play a pivotal role in ensuring the failure of border controls, allowing this illegal trade to flourish, according to the investigation. Corruption is rampant, with loggers and truckers greasing the wheels at border checkpoints and acquiring falsified certificates of origin for substantial fees.

This timber smuggling operation poses a significant threat to the Congo basin’s ecology and its role in the global fight against uncontrolled climate change. In interviews conducted for this story, Uganda government officials unanimously denied any involvement in the smuggling of timber from Congo.

“We have not received any such information about the smuggling of timber,” said Police spokesman Fred Enanga. “For more details, please contact the customs department; they will provide thorough information.”

“UPDF is not aware of any such smuggling activities unless there is concrete evidence to support these claims,” stated Felix Kulayigye, the UPDF spokesman, in an interview on Monday.

Tom Okello, the executive director of the National forestry Authority (NFA), also refuted these allegations.

“As the NFA, we are unaware of any timber smuggling activities from Congo. The only recognized market for Congolese timber that we know of is in Mpondwe. There, timber is legally sold, with revenue paid to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for its importation into Uganda. We haven’t heard of any other markets, legal or illegal, for timber besides Mpondwe,” he explained.

However, research by the Center for International Forestry Research reveals that over 90 per cent of the timber traded through Congo Park in DRC lacks legal logging permits.

The extent of the exploitation is vast, with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of protected African hardwoods being looted from the DRC and smuggled into Uganda and its neighbouring countries over the past two decades. The primary species of trees harvested in Congo include Okoume and Sapelli:

• Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) occupies an area of less than one million hectares.
• The Chaillu forest, renowned for its richness in tree species, hosts Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana), Limba (Terminalia superba), Ilomba (Pycnanthus angolensis), and Sipo (Entandrophragma utile).

In particular, Uganda’s border point of Lia is a focal scene of this illicit trade as night falls, according to Pulitzer Center Rainforest Investigations Network investigation. The bustling activity here paints a vivid picture of a prosperous business that extends across East Africa.

Yet, this economic boon masks a darker reality of exploitation, environmental degradation, and the perilous journey of Congolese timber.
Despite the international protection of species like African mahogany, the lack of rigorous border checks at points like Lia has enabled the unobstructed movement of these valuable woods.

This lax enforcement results in significant environmental and community harm. The investigation employed interviews, satellite imagery, and on-the-ground reporting to dissect the illegal logging supply chain, from Lia’s transformation to the broader network of buyers and sellers across Africa.

It brings to light not just the mechanics of the trade but also the human impact — stories of hope, despair, and a relentless quest for prosperity. Central to this series is a critical analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks, or their absence, governing the timber trade in East Africa. Insights from local politicians, timber dealers, and conservation experts in Uganda and beyond reveal the depth of corruption, weak governance and ineffective environmental policies.

This series underscores that timber trafficking isn’t just an ecological issue; it’s a complex socio-economic challenge demanding a unified, cross border approach.

The illegal plunder and sale of Congolese timber in Uganda has been a contentious issue for many years. On February 9, 2022, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Uganda must pay $325 million in reparations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

This compensation is for damages to individuals, property, and natural resources that occurred as a result of Uganda’s military intervention in the DRC’s conflicts between 1998 and 2003. The ordered reparations cover a range of transgressions, including the loss of lives and the plunder, looting and exploitation of resources such as gold, diamonds and timber during the period of military occupation.