George

**George Wood**

 * Birthdate: 05/09/1993
 * Nationality: British
 * Have lived in England and Zimbabwe, and now living in Saudi Arabia
 * Currently attending British International School of Jeddah, class IB1-2
 * I love books and films, and I try to read/watch a wide variety of titles. I enjoy writing, and I have taken the opportunity to do MUN as I aspire to become a journalist in the future and am considering going into current affairs. I also enjoy going to the gym, swimming and playing the piano.

Issue: The last stand of the Gorilla: environmental crime in the Congo Basin
UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) - Rapid Response Assessment on issue including full report, in conjunction with Interpol

This assessment by the UNEP itself looks into the current status and scenarios of the species of gorillas living in the Congo, and deals with issues such as: mining in gorilla forests, charcoal production, natural resources being exploited for military warfare and the resulting effect on the gorillas, habitat loss due to logging, pathogenic threats such as the Ebola virus, the bushmeat trade and poaching, and illegal trade of live gorillas and various natural resources being exported from the Congo Basin. It also is focused on the importance of trans-boundary law enforcement (the conflict in the Congo is very important in this respect - 190 rangers have been killed in one park alone while defending the gorillas and their habitat) and collaboration with organisations such as MONUC and Interpol. A noteworthy and interesting piece of information from this report is that despite that only a few gorillas are killed for various reasons, it has a significant impact on the organisation of their social structure - compare it to losing a close friend or relative having an impact on a person's life, but to a greater extent.

**Gorilla status and distribution**
 * 190 park rangers killed in Virunga National Park over past 15 years
 * Out of the four known sub-species of gorillas, population of the Mountain Gorilla of the Eastern gorilla species is recovering but still critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, exact figure of population will be published from release of the recent Mountain Gorilla 2010 Census
 * The Western Lowland Gorilla and Cross River Gorilla of the Western gorilla species updated from endangered to critically endangered according to the release of the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
 * The Eastern Lowland Gorilla of the Eastern Gorilla species remains endangered
 * International trade for primarily commercial purposes is banned by the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
 * Threats: Diseases transmitted by humans; destruction and fragmentation of habitats through logging, mining and burning; direct hunting for bushmeat; random killing in ongoing conflicts; deliberate killings of gorillas; accidental deaths from mines or booby traps; increased number of deaths from what is perceived as self-defense at a time when number of armed men is high in gorilla-populated areas; general, collective negligence - little land-use planning, little wildlife law enforcement, few alternative opportunities for poachers to get out of poverty

**Human conflict threats**
 * Perceived self-defense killings, and deaths from other direct contacts or mines or booby traps has a significant effect as each gorilla’s individual DNA has become imperative to the species survival, although human conflicts that are resource-drive or resource exploitation related are more important
 * Conflict in North and South Kivu (location of the population of the Eastern gorilla subspecies) is strongly related to the exploitation of minerals and timber, as well as charcoal production
 * Huge referee camps are where militia and corrupt army officials sell charcoal needed as fuel for daily chores
 * Companies and multinationals have little or no interest in origins of resources, with some subsidiaries responsible for bribing, threatening and supporting influx of arms to militias in region
 * Countries of region including DRC government have been very active in 2009 in attempts to reduce conflict, however conflict and militia is supported by funds outside region
 * MONUC - UN peacekeeping force in DRC, mainly based in North and South Kivu, concentrates operations and security to major towns and road network, with UN Security Council authorising MONUC to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate, but mandate needs to be stronger to control borders to reduce and stop militia financing
 * Mai-Mai militia: active community-based militia group operating mainly in North and South Kivu fighting other miltias and militaries, including MONUC, particularly Rawnda-based FDLR. Involved in charcoal production, poaching and killing of park rangers and gorillas, including in Virunga in early 2000’s. 20 000 - 30 000 troops
 * Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR): represented mainly by Hutus after Rwandan genocide operating in North and South Kivu being fought against FADRC and Rwandan military. Involved in atrocities and looting, including minerals, poaching and charcoal. 6 000 - 15 000 troops
 * Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP): Tutsi dominated militia made up of several militia groups established by Lauren Nkunda (former General in DRC Armed Forces) in Kivu in Dec 2006. Leadership taken over by Bosco Ntaganda in early Jan 2009, Nkunda arrested 22 Jan 2009 after crossing into Rwanda. Ntaganda awarded senior position by attempting to intergrate CNDP forces into Congolese army - limited success (6 000 CNDP militia in theory adapted into FARDC and several peace agreements intended to convert CNDP into political party, but still involved in fighting and looting in area). Estimated 8 000 troops
 * Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC): 130 000 troops but suffering from lack of payment and support. Countries with on0es with mineral interests in DRC attempted support in DRC to bring stability, as well as UN in joint operations and supply of funds to pay soldiers. However, like militias involved in atrocities and looting

Natural resource exploitation threats for financing warfare, destruction of great ape habitat and poaching
 * FDLR get main revenues by controlling majority of artisanal mines in South Kivu (casseterite, gold, coltan) and some in North Kivu
 * CDNP financed by pools system of Congolese and Rwandans, number of mineral-exporting companies are acting as fronts for CDNP. Most militias take road tolls, charcoal taxes, bribe or threaten border check points or local officials - CDNP in 2008 had control of Bunagana border post (DRC/Uganda border)
 * CDNP makes 430 000 USD a year from taxes alone on charcoal originating inside and around Virunga, as well as actual sales; FDLR makes around 2 million USD a year from charcoal taxes on half of charcoal production - this suggests 4 million USD is made each year is made from charcoal taxes
 * FDLR has been estimated to make around 28 million USD from charcoal sales annually in collaboration with FADRC in spite of being at war

Role of multinational companies and networks
 * FDLR, CDNP and FADRC have been involved in transport of timber, minerals and charcoal from illegal exploitations
 * FDLR get main revenues by controlling majority of artisanal mines in South Kivu (casseterite, gold, coltan) and some in North Kivu and are involved in trafficking minerals by roads and trucks, and controls majority of territory in mineral-rich Kahuzi Biega National Park
 * Companies from US, the EU, China and South Africa all import illegally exploited wood from the Congo Basin
 * Companies help sustain corruption with rewards being paid in form of new concessions or low-interest loans, recipient gaining incomes from differences interest rates
 * Private companies fueling conflict further by trading arms for natural resources
 * Some companies are helping against this, such as French company De Beers (international diamon marketing corporation) announcing that they will no longer purchase diamonds from conflict zones in Africa
 * Lack of sufficient systems to monitor import and origin of petroleum, minerals and fibre-products (pulp and timber) complicate these efforts
 * Multinational corporate networks have on several occasions supplied loans or funds for arms or even directly supplied arms or training in return for concessions
 * Funds used to finance arms to secure resource-rich locations for multinationals, furthering conflict

Habitat loss and degradation threats due to logging, agriculture and charcoal
 * Virunga National Park: home to 1/3 of remaining mountain gorillas, which are threatened by poachers and habitat loss, mainly by burning of charcoal or makala. Mai-Mai used park in early 2000’s, FDLR still remain, CDNP in late 2007 which attacked park HQ and several posts. Militias have been heavily involved in cutting and burning of charcoal, using prisoners or slaves for work. Aug/Sep 2009 rangers attacked and destroyed around 1000 kilns for burning of charcoal, but militias still make over 28 million USD by illegal selling of charcoal. More than 200 rangers have been killed in 5 parks in DRC border out of ranger force of 2000 by interfering funds of militias and their illegal exploitation of resources, and have a proportionately smaller amount of funds available compared to MONUC
 * Most logging companies from 1990‘ies to 2000‘nds were EU-based
 * Each owns a variety of local and subsidiary companies operating in Congo Basin countries
 * Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in DRC: forest surface area of about 1.45 million km

Mining threats in gorilla forests - coltan, cassiterite, diamonds, gold, cobalt and uranium
 * Mining camps impact gorillas mainly through logging activities and bushmeat hunting to supply workers (and slaves) with food
 * NGO, Global Witness, has accused several companies such as THAISARCO (world’s fifth-largest tin-producing company owned by British AMC) for buying minerals from conflict zone
 * THAISARCO’s main supplier, Congo-based Panju, sells cassiterite and coltan from mines controlled by the FDLR, according to Global Witness
 * Afrimex is a UK-based company found by British government in 2008 to be in breach of OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises for buying suppliers who made payments to a rebel group

Hunting gorillas for bushmeat:
 * Sometimes preferred target of hunters, sometimes conveniently large animal, sometimes unintended victim of snares set for other animals
 * 1980’s - problem largely because logging camp workers needed to be fed, forestry department reported to have 500 hunters each of whom had to feed 10 people; thus 5 000 workers supported by hunting of wildlife in logging areas. Some areas of Congo people were said to prefer gorilla meat above all else
 * Gorilla meat has always been part of diet of many of tribes that share the forest with the apes
 * Conservational problems do not usually arise from these traditions - these groups of people are living in low densities
 * Primate numbers decline when their populations are fragmented by forest clearance and development, and when hunting becomes a commercial business venture with the products being shipped to centres of human habitation, therby supplying a near limitless market
 * Estimations of up to 5 million metric tons of bushmeat is traded annually
 * Topography, available infrastructures, market access, taboos, religions, weapon availability, hunting seasons and other factors are important in affecting trade
 * Trade in gorilla meat is illegal, which makes number of gorillas killed each year difficult to compile
 * Although gorillas is a small proportion of bushmeat trade, the impact on these apes is disproportionately larger than other animals: gorillas have a low reproductive rate (almost 9 months gestation, usually 1 infant, about 4 years between births and maturity at about 10 years in females, up to 15 in males); social disruption following death of dominant silverback may result in infanticide of dependent infants when females join a new group; killed at unsustainable rate
 * Estimated 4% population being killed each month or 50% a year, claim by Mr Pierre Fidenci, president of Endangered Species International (ESI)
 * Danger with commercial hunting for markets is that when large mammals are gone from one area, commercial hunters simply move on to the next, making only the most remote and difficult to access populations of large mammals will survive unless improved law enforcement, better education and alternative livelihoods are provided

Article providing summary of UNEP report

Another article providing summary of UNEP report, with a focus on the role of the militias

WWF's vision and stance on the environment in the Congo Basin

Article released from Interpol about World Environmental Day for support against environmental crime, such as the gorillas in the Congo Basin

Information on Interpol's view for general environmental crime

Another article summarising the UNEP and Interpol report, also with a focus on the dangers of the militia in the Congo

Images and links on Congo's endangered mountain gorillas

Recent DRC news