CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Congo-Brazzaville |
NATURAL RESOURCES
Timber is Congo-Brazzaville’s second most important main national resource for export. But this is under threat from gross exploitation and nothing is being done to prevent the abuse, carried out by companies capitalizing on the forests
According to experts present at the Johannesburg Earth Summit, the Pool Region in eastern Congo is one of the world’s richest ecosystems. But it is currently under serious threat from over-exploitation. How serious is the situation has still to be evaluated, but the Congolese authorities directly involved in this section of the economy are not very open about what’s going on. The same thing happened in the petroleum sector.
Is Henri Djombo, Congo’s Minister for Forestry Economy and the Environment truly sincere in his concern? On 27 August, he surprised everyone because he finally stopped his colleagues issuing «special permits» for exploiting the forests. The issuing of these permits has been at the heart of the frequent behind-the-scenes logging operations which have been taking place in Congo-Brazza. The Minister himself said: «It’s now forbidden to issue such licences for cutting timber. The details of the new law governing logging activities will soon be made available. Until then, there’s no question of issuing special permits, and nobody, whether in the central or the regional administration, has the authority to issue any kind of permit for cutting-down trees».
This includes permission sought by small-scale operators who want to cut a few trees so they can manufacture small quantities of planks or other items made from wood. The fact is, those who have received such permits often take advantage to cut down any number of trees — in the clear sight of, and with the full knowledge of the Forestry Department authorities. It’s this situation which has encouraged the development almost everywhere in Congo, of unauthorised small-scale sawmills which exploit the timber, without any respect for preserving Congo-Brazza’s natural heritage.
To end this disorder in the industry, two years ago, the government launched a new Forestry Code which will in due course determine the conditions under which «special permits» can be issued.
Abuse in the industry
After all, timber is Congo’s second most important natural resource. The country has twenty million hectares of forests, that is to say, nearly 75% of the whole of its land mass. Unfortunately, the exploitation of this wealth and regulations governing the export of timber, are not open and above board. To make matters worse, senior officials in the Forestry Department seem to be keeping quiet about what’s happening.
That’s one reason why Joseph Melloh Mindako, a Cameroonian ecologist, was arrested in May 2002 in the locality of Pokola, north Congo, along the border with Cameroon through which the timber is transported for onward shipping. Henri Djombo says that Mindako had been carrying out under-cover inquiries at the same time as he was investigating the carryings-on of the Industrial Timber Company (CIB). According to certain information, this company is promoting illegal logging operations in its concessions.
Mindako was accused of «jeopardising Congo’s external security». A hackneyed phrase which camouflaged embezzlements carried out by foreign companies in Congo’s forest regions. In fact, Mindako had been asked to undertake his inquiry by a German NGO, Retten den Regen Wald (Save the Equatorial Forest), with the financial support of Greenpeace-Switzerland, the conservationist Karl Amman (presently living in Kenya), and a Britain based in Cameroon.
During his trial in Brazzaville, Joseph Mindako Melloh was persuaded to pleaded guilty. But at the same time he took the opportunity to emphasise that his inquiry was «closely connected with Congo’s concerns for the preservation of the forest ecosystems». Mindako confessed that in carrying out his investigations, he had not asked permission from the authorities, for reasons of discretion. He said he’d done the same kind of work in the Central African Republic, in Gabon and in Kenya.
His defence lawyer, Jean-Philippe Esseau, said in court: «There’s been no crime committed because the inquiry was not carried out to benefit any foreign government, rather it was made on behalf of an NGO». On 12 August, the court released Joseph Mindako Melloh. A sad note, however: He’s been banned from returning to Congo for five years.
By way of conclusion — a Malaysian logging company is presently doing its best to denude the Chaillu Hills in south-west Congo. Several witnesses have testified: «This company is even cutting down young trees and is not replanting».
See ANB-BIA, Nr 378, (15 Nov 1999) «S.O.S. for Congo’s Timber»
ENGLISH CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement