Organized crime and instability in Central Africa a threat assessment (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011)
October 2011
Includes bibliographical references
Preface. -- Main findings and recommendations. -- Executive summary. -- Introduction. -- Conflict and crime. -- Drug flows. -- Mineral resource flows. -- Environmental resource flows. -- Product flows. -- Organized crime as a source of conflict finance and instability. -- Implications for policy
Conflict in Central Africa appears to have declined remarkably in recent years. The remaining instability and violence, which predominantly affect the Eastern DRC, seem to be increasingly the result of criminal acts in a context of persistent lawlessness and weak state institutions, rather than the product of war. This context makes it difficult to provide the criminal justice response that crimes such as murder, rape and trafficking in children require. Although political grievances remain, much of the current instability and lawlessness is tied to activities such as trafficking in minerals and other forms of contraband. Those profiting include members of illegal armed groups and corrupt elements in the military, who have an economic interest in maintaining the current situation. Militant organizations may have had political origins, but today, many could be better described as criminal groups. The largest source of finance for these groups is the minerals trade.
Unless the flows of contraband are addressed, incentives for armed groups to perpetuate instability, lawlessness and violence will persist and it will be extremely difficult to build state capacity in this region. The current approach to tackling the instability in the Eastern DRC has focused heavily on the military. Fighting insurgencies requires soldiers, but fighting crime requires a functional and accessible criminal justice system. Building law enforcement capacity in the region requires capacity-building and reform in the police, courts and prisons. In parallel to this long-term effort, immediate responses are needed to undercut the financing of armed groups. There are a number of efforts from governments and international organizations to regulate the mineral supply chain. The idea is to promote transparency and provide certification that the minerals are not funding armed groups.