CONFRONTING CONFLICT TIMBER

Abstract

Conflict timber is a term that has only come into use recently, yetthe broader phenomenon—the financing of violent conflict throughthe exploitation of natural resources—has a long history. For thepurposes of this study, conflict timber is de- fined as wood thathas been traded or taxed at some point in the chain of custody byarmed groups, be they rebel factions or state militaries, or by acivilian administration involved in armed conflict2 to finance hostilitiesor otherwise perpetuate conflict.3 The connection between the timbertrade and the finance of war has garnered international attentionrecently because of its role in several prolonged and destructiveconflicts in Asia and Africa. Timber has most prominently figuredin conflicts that have affected Liberia, the Democratic Republicof Congo (DRC), and Cambodia, as described in the chapter by Le Billon(Chapter 2), but it has also played a role in conflicts in Myanmar(Burma), Guinea, and Sierra Leone.4 Here we examine the basic characteristicsof the conflict timber phenomenon and reviewoptions available forpreventing and controlling its occurrence.