Timber Smuggling: From DRC, Through Uganda, to the Rest of the World

Sharing a border that is more than 900 kilometers (559 miles) long, with hundreds of unmanned entries, Uganda has for years had large volumes of informal trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A key component in this informal trade is timber smuggling from the Congo. After entry into Uganda, the timber is processed into final products or processed and exported to different countries.

This investigation examines and uncovers the complexities of the smuggling with a focus on uncovering the personalities and companies involved in it. The investigation also uncovers how the timber from DRC is processed and exported to different countries around the world.

On paper, Uganda has stringent laws that should prevent entry of smuggled timber or even cutting any tree in the country. This project also explores how laws are ignored and abused.