Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of Congo

The document expresses disappointment over the removal of Pericopsis elata (Afrormosia) from the CITES Review of Significant Trade for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It argues that the DRC continues to disregard CITES norms, with an estimated ninety percent of timber harvested being "illegal or informal" and actual harvests reaching "eight times the official harvest." The authors claim the DRC's May 2014 non-detriment finding (NDF) is insufficient, lacking a scientific basis for export quotas and failing to address widespread corruption and the use of falsified permits. The document highlights that the DRC is rated as one of the "two most problematic countries in Africa for illegal exploitation of natural resources" and requests a comprehensive review and suspension of trade in all CITES-listed plants and animals from the DRC until compliance is guaranteed.

• Illegal logging is pervasive in the DRC, with estimates suggesting that approximately 90% of harvested timber is illegal or informal, and actual log harvests are roughly eight times the official figures.
• The DRC has failed to meet CITES requirements for Pericopsis elata, specifically regarding the establishment of sound harvest and export quotas and the provision of an adequate non-detriment finding (NDF).
• There is significant evidence of permit fraud in the DRC, including a large number of fake or falsified CITES permits, some of which were listed as "unaccounted for" by the Secretariat while the DRC reported them as used for exports to China, Belgium, Singapore, and Malaysia.
• The DRC's forest law enforcement is described as fundamentally flawed, characterized by weak political will and widespread corruption, leading to the misappropriation of artisanal logging permits by industrial loggers.
• The authors contend that CITES has failed to sufficiently address the illegal logging of Afrormosia in the DRC, particularly by removing the species from the Review of Significant Trade in June 2014 despite ongoing non-compliance.
• The DRC is identified as one of the two most problematic countries in Africa regarding the illegal exploitation of natural resources, with systemic issues extending beyond timber to include wildlife such as grey parrots and great apes.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2014). Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. https://ciel.org/Publications/CITES_DRC_8Jul2014.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2014. https://ciel.org/Publications/CITES_DRC_8Jul2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of Congo |date=7 July 2014 |url=https://ciel.org/Publications/CITES_DRC_8Jul2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2014afrormosia, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of Congo}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2014}, month = jul, url = {https://ciel.org/Publications/CITES_DRC_8Jul2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }