Africa’s political elite's deforestation scam | Transnational Investigation
Logging the trees, mining the forest and pocketing ‘green’ funds, all at the same time
A ZAM transnational investigation conducted across six African countries has revealed the complicity of governing political elites in rapid deforestation. At the same time, many of these elites are receiving billions of dollars and euros in ‘green’ funds from international partners, including the UN, the EU, and the World Bank. Previous instalments of this investigation, already published by ZAM, have highlighted this pattern in Uganda, Nigeria, and Mozambique. The latest findings from Cameroon, Ghana, and Malawi are in line with the earlier results.
In each of these countries, companies and individuals were found to be actively involved in deforestation with impunity and often with the complicity of government officials at the highest levels.
The complicity took the following forms:
- In Ghana, an avalanche of politically connected mining companies received licenses to mine in often protected forest areas during a ‘Green Ghana’ campaign for which the government received millions in international funding
- A Forestry Development Master Plan, designed to guide Ghanaian policy on combating deforestation and climate change, was found to be unknown to key officials in the forestry and mining departments, with one of the officials asking: “That master plan is from who?”
- In Malawi, a mountain that has sustained dozens of communities for generations has been severely damaged by logging, allegedly involving the state Forestry Office in cahoots with foreign traders.
- The same mountain area is now facing further devastation from mining exploration by a politically connected bauxite company.
- A forest protection NGO in the area complains that it is losing international support because of mistrust due to 'thieves' in (Malawi's) government.
- In Cameroon, logging companies were repeatedly given new forest licenses, even when they had also repeatedly been found guilty of illegal logging.
- Also, in Cameroon, forest road checkpoints were denounced as simply enabling all timber trucks through in exchange for ‘envelopes’.
- Forestry officials of integrity in the same country said there was an ‘omerta’ surrounding these practices. While some checkpoint personnel were occasionally suspended or fined for corruption, the cases 'never made it to court,' and the 'oiling of the vehicles' continued.
- In Mozambique, state officials were reportedly complicit in the destruction of a national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while being part of a government and ruling party that receives global green funding to protect nature reserves.
- In Nigeria, Cross River State's government was soliciting business from monoculture companies in officially protected forest areas.
- In Uganda, the president’s brother was denounced by communities as a kingpin in illegal logging, while the government’s environment ministry was said to be ‘making merry at the COP conferences.’
In nearly all of the country cases, international funders did not respond in detail to the findings when asked for comment, with the exception of the EU in Uganda, which pointed out that the “EU supports the (Ugandan) government (…) to address gaps such as weak regulation, limited skills, inappropriate practices, and lack of tools and systems.” (1)
In the African countries involved in this investigation, significant popular protest is mounting against deforestation practices. Forest communities in Malawi and Uganda, as well as researchers and activists in Nigeria and Ghana, along with journalists, civil servants, and traditional leaders in Cameroon, are denouncing these destructive activities and striving to establish connections with international institutions to combat the crisis. In Malawi, a local NGO has proposed a public-private partnership with the state to protect Mulanje Mountain. In Ghana, pressure is intensifying to repeal a controversial law that has enabled a surge in forest mining licenses. Meanwhile, massive protests have erupted in Mozambique against the corrupt governance of the ruling Frelimo party.
Last August, the Uganda and Nigeria chapters of this investigation received an ACCER Award from the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. As part of their prize, Uchenna Igwe (Nigeria) and James Onono (Uganda) have been invited to attend COP 29 in Azerbaijan, where they hope to present their stories.
(1) See the full response in the Uganda chapter of this investigation.
See all stories in this investigation:
Nigeria and Uganda | Western “green” funds used for “merrymaking with ministers” while forests are cut down
Mozambique | The destruction of Quirimbas Park
Ghana | Despite much ‘green’ planning and funding, the political elite still mines the forests
Malawi | How “thieves” in government are ravaging Mulanje mountain
Cameroon | The timber mafia omerta
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