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14 CARVING UP THE CONGO By 2002, even though production was at a virtual standstill because of the war, about 43.5 million hectares of forest – an area larger than California and twice the size of the United Kingdom – were controlled by the logging industry 31 (in addition to a dubious arrangement with the Zimbabwean army to log 34 million hectares of forests made, ostensibly, in return for Zimbabwean military support for the Kinshasa authorities 32 ). Requests for new titles have continued to pour into the Ministry of Environment. 33 The 285 long-term holdings current in 2002 overlapped with villages, agricultural lands and biodiversity hotspots, depriving forest communities of the right to manage their own forests. The establishment of new protected areas or community forests, or of forest-based activities other than logging, was made impossible in these areas. 34 As a World Bankled forestry sector review summarises the situation: ‘Forests were seized by logging interests and there was little space left for other forest uses.’ 35 ‘Deforestation is a very large GHG emission source in the developing world, accounting for up to 20% of global emissions – an amount roughly comparable to the entire annual fossil fuel emissions of the United States. Given the urgency of the climate change threat and the ongoing drastic loss of biodiversity, the cost effectiveness and the potential for relatively rapid emissions reductions from deforestation and forest degradation make it a vital component of the global effort to prevent dangerous climate change.’ 40 Climate Action Network International (CAN), 2007 These problems remain today. After the war, a new fight for control of the rainforest According to Transparency International, the DRC is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. 36 It has been classified as the classic ‘failed state’ in Africa – unable to control its territory or resources – in a report commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 37 among other sources. 38 While war obviously provided a critical opportunity for massive land grabbing in recent years, the heart of the problem can be ascribed to the economy of plunder and the institutional corruption that has long characterised the DRC’s political class. For forty years, public office has been synonymous with personal profit. 39 The rule of law does not exist in the DRC. The logging sector is characterised by corruption. 41 As elsewhere, lawlessness and corruption are an open invitation to loggers to log irresponsibly without fear of sanction. This situation has the effect of attracting the most unscrupulous companies to the DRC, providing even greater stimulus to corruption. As a report for USAID on conflict timber states: ‘The DRC’s unenviable reputation as one of the world’s most corrupt countries in fact discourages honest logging companies from operating in the country because they recognise that they will be competing against a set of companies accustomed to operating in highly corrupt environments. Dishonest, aggressive companies – “operators” – may, however, find such an environment attractive because they see opportunities for quick
CARVING UP THE CONGO 15 profits in a context where rules are poorly enforced, bribery is commonplace, and unscrupulous entrepreneurs have broad leeway to operate as they will. These firms are well capitalised, as witnessed by the half million dollar bribe reportedly offered by a Malaysian lumber company to the DRC’s timber allocation unit to obtain logging concessions.’ 42 In the words of the International Security Information Service, ‘It is questionable whether a legitimate industry can even exist in the DRC where corruption is rampant and accountability minimal.’ 43 A new battle for control of the DRC’s rainforest is now in full swing, with the interests of logging companies and corrupt officials set against the rights of forestdwelling communities and the fate of the global environment. It is widely feared that the imminent conclusion of the World Bankled legal review of current forest holdings is set to confirm the vast majority of logging titles and to open the way to the issuing of further concessions. The battle is now at a turning point. The questions that must be asked are: why does the World Bank persist in supporting an industrial logging-led model as the basis for development, when this model is clearly unable to make a meaningful contribution to the fight against corruption, poverty alleviation, or environmental protection? How does it propose to help meet the monumental challenge of supporting genuine development in the DRC? Above: ©Schlossman Top: ©<strong>Greenpeace</strong>/Davison
Page 1 and 2: CARVING UP THE CONGO
Page 3 and 4: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: WHAT A CARVE UP
Page 7 and 8: CARVING UP THE CONGO 1 WHAT A CARVE
Page 9 and 10: CARVING UP THE CONGO 3 ©Greenpeace
Page 11 and 12: CARVING UP THE CONGO 5 HAS IT RAISE
Page 13 and 14: CARVING UP THE CONGO 7 ©Greenpeace
Page 15 and 16: Intact forest in Central Africa not
Page 17 and 18: CARVING UP THE CONGO 11 Tropical ra
Page 19: CARVING UP THE CONGO 13 THE BATTLE
Page 23 and 24: CARVING UP THE CONGO 17 GREENPEACE
Page 25 and 26: CARVING UP THE CONGO 19 May 2002 -
Page 27 and 28: CARVING UP THE CONGO 21 titles to c
Page 29 and 30: CARVING UP THE CONGO 23 [I]n spite
Page 31 and 32: Sodefor’s logging titles in the D
Page 33 and 34: CARVING UP THE CONGO 27 ©Greenpeac
Page 35 and 36: CARVING UP THE CONGO 29 Logging tit
Page 39 and 40: CARVING UP THE CONGO 33 INDUSTRIAL
Page 41 and 42: CARVING UP THE CONGO 35 three years
Page 43 and 44: ©Kim Gjerstad WILL POLITICALLY ‘
Page 45 and 46: CARVING UP THE CONGO 39 In June 200
Page 47 and 48: ©Greenpeace/Reynaers ‘Haag reach
Page 49 and 50: CARVING UP THE CONGO 43 TIPPING THE
Page 55 and 56: ‘The participatory management app
Page 57 and 58: CARVING UP THE CONGO 51 the overlap
Page 59 and 60: CARVING UP THE CONGO 53 Soon after,
Page 61 and 62: CARVING UP THE CONGO 55 Logging tit
Page 63 and 64: THE LAW WORKS HAND-IN-HAND WITH SIC
Page 65 and 66: ©Greenpeace/Davison
Page 67 and 68: CARVING UP THE CONGO 61 NO LAND USE
Page 69 and 70: 63 CARVING UP THE CONGO Given the d
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 65 Logging tit
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 67 operation.
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 69 total emiss
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THE COST TO THE CLIMATE OF LOGGING
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30km CARVING UP THE CONGO 73
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 75 It is time
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 77 New governm
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 79 START THE S
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 81
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 83 Date, if si
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 85 Date, if si
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 87 www.rdcconv
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 89 References
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 91 du mechanis
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‘Nature is sick. Species are dyin
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