OE Watch Commentary: It is only a brief article in the Somalia media website Shabelle News, but it reflects a massive problem: illegal logging and the production and sale of charcoal (aka Black Gold) in Kenya’s Boni National Reserve, which is very close to the Somali border. Besides the environmental devastation caused by those illegal activities, a large portion of the proceeds go to fund the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab. As accompanying excerpts of the article reveal, the police commander for the region, Muchangi Kioi, said security officers with the Linda Boni operation – an operation designed to flush the Somali terrorists from the Boni’s large forested area – will work with local police to try to stop the illegal trading. What the article did not mention were the numerous reports accusing Kenyan military troops, both in Kenya and in Somalia, of being complicit with al-Shabaab in those very same illegal activities. It should be noted that the Kenyan military denies those reports.
Much of the illegal charcoal from Somalia and Kenya is destined for the nearby Gulf States of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. It is shipped through the Somali port of Kismayo, which used to be in al-Shabaab hands but after they were forced out, Kenyan troops took control of it as part of their African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) duties. UN monitors accused Kenya of smoothing the charcoal trade through the port despite the ban. Interestingly, Kenya gave the reason for defying the ban – although not saying its troops were profiting from this action – as an effort to protect their troops from Kismayo charcoal dealers who would be angered by the loss of their livelihood.
The accompanying article also mentions that in addition to illegal logging and production of charcoal in the Boni Reserve, al-Shabaab is benefiting from the sale of game meat, presumably also from the reserve. The combination of all of these activities has been environmental degradation and a loss of ecotourism. Hearing of al-Shabaab’s presence in the region is also not conducive to people wanting to visit the area. As a result, revenue from tourism has taken a hit.
There has been previous pressure for Kenya to crack down on illegal activities that help fund al-Shabaab. This has proven to be difficult to implement. Besides al-Shabaab’s actual presence in Boni, the terrorist group also has sympathizers there, making efforts to eliminate the logging and charcoal production which support the terrorists that much more difficult. Combined with a Kenyan military that has been accused of complicity in the illegal trading ventures, it will have to wait to be seen if anything actually changes with this latest call for the eradication of the deeply entrenched and quite profitable illegal logging and charcoal production/trade. End OE Watch Commentary (Feldman)
Proceeds from illegal logging and charcoal burning inside the Boni Forest are being used to fund terrorists, the authorities say.
[Lamu Police Commander] Kioi said al Shabaab sympathizers were endangering the lives of innocent Kenyans. He said it was unfortunate that residents were still supporting terrorists.