Cameroon’s most important seaport has develop into a transit hub for unlawful exports from West and Central Africa.
In Could 2023, a customs official in Douala, Cameroon stamped a cargo of timber for export from the Central African Republic (CAR) to China. It appeared like a routine load, an on a regular basis a part of worldwide commerce.
However the firm exporting the logs – Wooden Worldwide Group – is a part of a community of issues in Africa operated by the Wagner Group, the infamous Russian personal army enterprise. America positioned Wooden Worldwide Group underneath sanctions final September.
Wagner operates within the grey zone that spans authorized and unlawful economies. The group has deployed mercenaries to a number of African international locations, sometimes in change for entry to pure sources, together with gold and diamonds. Wagner-linked corporations have exploited these sources utilizing illegal, corrupt and irregular means. For years, a number of of those companies primarily based in CAR have used Douala as a hub to import gear and export items resembling timber.
Between 2013-2018, undeclared commerce between Cameroon, China and Vietnam is estimated at US$1.099 billion
The logs exported by Wooden Worldwide Group usually are not the one suspicious timber shipments to have handed by way of Douala. The port has lengthy been a significant thoroughfare for illicit timber felled within the forests of Cameroon and neighbouring international locations.
A current investigation by the Pulitzer Middle discovered that regardless of Cameroon’s efforts to fight unlawful logging, there was a ‘troubling improve’ in instances. Typically, the illegally felled timber is laundered by way of authorized logging corporations. They function sawmills and warehouses near Cameroon’s main ports, Douala and Kribi. The highest vacation spot international locations are China and Vietnam.
Official information can point out the size of this type of illicit commerce. COMTRADE, the United Nations database on world imports and exports, has statistics on timber imports from Cameroon declared by China and Vietnam, and what’s declared as exports to those international locations by Cameroon. Evaluation of those two information teams between 2013 and 2018 (the most recent figures that enable comparability) exhibits a spot of US$1.099 billion – suggesting a big quantity of undeclared or unlawful commerce.
Douala is the primary seaport and financial capital of Cameroon. It manages just below 85% of the nation’s worldwide commerce (in response to port authority estimates). The town is a hub for international commerce from Cameroon and its neighbours, together with the landlocked CAR and Chad. So it isn’t shocking that felony networks use the port as a transit route and gateway between West and Central Africa and worldwide markets.
Regardless of safety reforms within the Port of Douala, new analysis exhibits that the vulnerabilities endure
The exploitation of transport hubs, notably ports, by felony networks is a common drawback. Seaports carry the overwhelming majority of world commerce – each licit and illicit. Over 80% of the worldwide items commerce is carried by sea, in response to 2021 data from the United Nations Convention on Commerce and Growth. This proportion is even increased for many growing international locations.
Whether or not for gasoline, grain or shopper items, any main worldwide provide chain depends on maritime commerce. Port amenities are additionally a goal for infiltration by felony networks searching for entry to international markets. This has been noticed in Cameroon and globally.
The main ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam accounted for nearly 65% of the cocaine seized in all European Union (EU) ports in 2020. A 2023 evaluation by the EU Company for Legislation Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) found that ‘ports are additionally exploited for transferring shipments of unlawful items into the EU and are susceptible to infiltration by felony networks.’ Europol stated the sheer quantity of containers transported every year made detecting illicit items difficult.
In 2022, the International Initiative Towards Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) mapped hotspots of illicit economies and violent battle throughout West Africa. It developed the Illicit Economies and Instability Monitor to evaluate the position of those economies in fuelling instability. In all, 280 hubs had been recognized throughout 18 international locations in West Africa.
Douala exhibits the significance of strengthening the human facet of port administration
The monitor confirmed that within the area, ‘transport infrastructure, resembling seaports and airports, are key nodes in regional and international illicit economies.’ A number of coastal hubs, together with Douala and different Cameroonian ports, had been categorised as ‘excessive danger’ for illicit and felony exercise.
Lately, safety reforms have improved oversight of products within the Port of Douala and have introduced port administration consistent with worldwide requirements. Nevertheless, GI-TOC’s forthcoming analysis on the port discovered that vulnerabilities endure, and bodily safety enhancements could also be undermined by corruption.
Poor working situations – within the port itself and its transport infrastructure – make workers susceptible to recruitment and exploitation by felony networks. These working situations additionally create a excessive danger of accidents and accidents for port workers.
Douala exhibits the significance of strengthening the human facet of port administration. At the side of technical and bodily enhancements to port safety, bettering accountability and dealing situations are important. The identical classes may very well be utilized to different ports and infrastructure in Africa that face related exploitation by organised criminals.
Julia Stanyard and Eleanor Beevor, Senior Analysts, GI-TOC
This text was first printed by ENACT.
