Timber resources fuelling conflict

Zimbabwe's involvement in the conflict in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is allowing it to exploit that country's resources and keep Robert Mugabe's government afloat, alleges a British based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness.

Global Witness focuses on the links between exploitation of natural resources in conflict areas and environmental and human rights abuses.

In the past seven years Global Witness has highlighted the use of resources, including timber, oil and diamonds, to fund conflicts and corrupt regimes across the world, including Angola, Cambodia, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

The NGO said in a press release: "Following its military intervention in the DRC Zimbabwe has been crippled by its expensive involvement".

It quoted Global Witness director Patrick Alley as saying that "Zimbabwe entered DRC to exploit what resources it could get – modern day carpet-baggers. But what started out as opportunism has become necessity as the war has financially broken Zimbabwe, and DRC's resources are probably the only thing keeping the government afloat."

A Kinshasa based logging company, the Société Congolaise d'exploitation du bois (SOCEBO), had been established to allow the Zimbabwean military to log in DRC's rich forests. "This company is a joint venture between a Congolese company with close links to the presidency, Comiex Congo, and OSLEG – the commercial arm of the Zimbabwean army," the rights group said.

It alleged that the timber company is part of a "complex corporate web created over the past few years" by ZANU-PF, Mugabe's ruling party.

Global Witness said OSLEG (Operation Sovereign Legitimacy) had among its directors the commander of the Zimbabwean army Vitalis Zvinavashe, who was among military chiefs who issued a statement intimating they would only support a ZANU-PF victory in Zimbabwe's upcoming elections. "One can only speculate on who is buying this loyalty," said Alley.

Global Witness alleged the timber was being marketed by a United Kingdom based company, African Hardwood Marketing Ltd, which "is currently logging in DRC's Katanga Province with the Zimbabwean army".

"Given the UK government's attempts to bring an end to African conflicts, the fact that 'conflict' timber is being marketed by a UK based company must be very embarrassing to the (British) government. However, it does give the government the opportunity to prove it really does want to make concrete efforts to help end African conflicts, and to demonstrate this by closing this company down," Alley was quoted as saying.

The report can be viewed at: www.globalwitness.org