Environmental Crime in Democratic Republic Of Congo Fuels Armed Conflict,UN Reports

摘要

Illegal trade and exploitation of natural resources fuel armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries in the Congo Basin, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the government and the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) are confronted not only by a political insurgency, but also by heavily armed militarized groups engaged in large-scale smuggling and plundering of natural resources. "The illegal trade and exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo is concentrated around minerals, wildlife, timber, charcoal, cosmetic and medicinal plants, as well as cannabis sativa," he said in releasing the April 15 report in Nairobi.