The Timber Trade in Africa’s Great Lakes: Implications for Uganda and the Region

The document examines the flow of tropical timber from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda and the wider East African region. It highlights the challenges of regulating this trade due to its informal nature and the influence of powerful middlemen. The authors argue that regional cooperation, improved infrastructure, and the promotion of plantation forestry in Uganda are essential to reduce illegal trade and pressure on natural forests. Key recommendations include utilizing the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for coordination and aligning timber certification standards across the DRC and East African Community (EAC) members.

• The timber trade in Africa's Great Lakes is primarily a one-sided flow of tropical timber from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that either terminates in Uganda or transits through Uganda to other regional destinations.
• Regulating the regional timber trade is difficult because it involves many small-to-medium operators and lacks clear distinctions between formal, informal, and illegal trade activities.
• The trade is dominated by middlemen who maintain power through access to credit, market information, and connections with state officials and law enforcement, rather than through resource ownership or adding value to the timber.
• Infrastructure improvements along the Northern and Central Corridors may facilitate access to forests in the eastern DRC, but computerizing customs procedures could reduce bribery and illegal trade by limiting human contact points.
• Uganda faces a timber shortage and is encouraged to promote plantation forestry to reduce pressure on its own resources and those of the DRC, similar to strategies adopted by China.
• Uganda is advised to ensure its emerging timber certification system is compatible with the standards of the DRC and its neighbors in the East African Community (EAC).

APA

du Preez, M.-L., & Chevallier, R. (2012). The Timber Trade in Africa’s Great Lakes: Implications for Uganda and the Region. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Policy-Briefing-52.pdf

Chicago

du Preez, Mari-Lise, and Romy Chevallier. The Timber Trade in Africa’s Great Lakes: Implications for Uganda and the Region. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2012. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Policy-Briefing-52.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=du Preez |first1=Mari-Lise |last2=Chevallier |first2=Romy |title=The Timber Trade in Africa’s Great Lakes: Implications for Uganda and the Region |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Policy-Briefing-52.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dupreez2012timber, author = {du Preez, Mari-Lise and Chevallier, Romy}, title = {{The Timber Trade in Africa’s Great Lakes: Implications for Uganda and the Region}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Policy-Briefing-52.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }