Illegal logging of rosewood in Mozambique, estimated to be worth $23m a year, is funding both a brutal Islamist insurgency and a criminal network in the country. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has uncovered a connection between the illicit trade in rosewood and the financing of violent militants with ties to Islamic State in the province of Cabo Delgado. Despite international protection for Mozambique’s rosewood, poor management and corruption have allowed the trade to flourish in insurgent-controlled areas. This has led to a resurgence in fighting in the region, with insurgents gaining funds from the timber trade to recruit more fighters. The timber, including a threatened species of rosewood known as pau preto, is often processed and shipped to China, where there is a high demand for luxury furniture made from tropical hardwoods. The trade has continued despite laws in China banning the logging of rosewood, with large quantities still being imported. The EIA’s investigation traced a large shipment of rosewood from Mozambique to China, revealing the extent of the illegal trade. The involvement of major shipping companies in transporting the timber has raised concerns about their role in facilitating the illicit trade. Deforestation in Mozambique is occurring at an alarming rate, with the country losing a significant amount of forest cover daily. The trade in rosewood, considered the most trafficked wildlife product in the world, is contributing to this deforestation. Without stronger enforcement of international treaties and regulations, the illicit timber trade is likely to continue unabated, with serious consequences for both the environment and security in the region.
