

Cameroon's Congo River basin forest sector is exposed to illegal timber logging as demand for high-quality wood in Asia is growing. Due in part to ineffective forestry sector governance and management, the region is emerging as a focal area for local and international criminal actors. The Congo Basin's rainforests supply a wide range of wood species, including African teak, rosewood, bubinga, iroko, sapele, and moabi, to key high demand markets such as China and Vietnam. It is estimated that up to 50% of the annual wood harvested in Cameroon is from small-scale logging, most of which is illegal. At the borders, traffickers falsely declare tree species to pass illegally harvested timber off as legal, with this wood then trafficked into neighboring countries and exported on to consumer markets. According to the research organisation ENACT Africa, both private sector and state operators can be involved in this illegal trade, with the industry in Cameroon steeped in corruption. A key concern is bribe-taking among senior officials, civil servants, and companies in exchange for timber logging permits. Unfortunately, well-meaning government authorities also often lack the resources needed to effectively monitor the country's vast forests.