War Damage to Tigray Region's Environment

 Ethiopia Insight published on 22 February 2023 a commentary titled "War and Siege Inflicted Damage on Tigray's Ecosystem" by Emnet Negash, Ghent University, and Emiru Birhane, Mekelle University.  

The war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region resulted in significant damage to agriculture, animal herds, reforestation, wildlife, and the environment generally.

Forest Resources in Tigray Region Another Victim of Ethiopia's Civil War

 Ethiopia Insight published on 11 November 2022 an article titled "Armed Conflict Has Degraded Tigray's Forest Resources" by an anonymous author.  

Another casualty of Ethiopia's civil war has been the destruction of Tigray Region's forest resources due to artillery shelling and the plundering of nurseries and forest seed centers.  

Somalia: Crime and Al-Shabaab

The Conversation posted on 8 April 2020 an analysis titled "How Crime Is Closely Linked to Al-Shabaab's Survival Strategy" by Katharine Petrich, Santa Clara University.

The author concludes that al-Shabaab's criminal activities make the group significantly more resilient to counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns, extending both its lifespan and operational capability, by providing financing and recruitment. 

Ghanaian Rosewood Exports to China Threaten Species

Ghanabusiness.com recently posted a detailed account titled "China's Lust for Rosewood Fuels Logging in Ghana's Poorest Region" by Emmanuel K. Dogbevi.

Demand for rosewood in China has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. Ghana is the second largest source, after Nigeria, of rosewood exported to China from West Africa. Ghana has put a ban on cutting down rosewood trees but not on collecting and exporting wood that has fallen on its own. This has not prevented, however, the massive cutting of trees by local Ghanaians who are protected by local politicians. Nearly all of the wood is exported to China by local Chinese companies.

At the current rate of harvesting, it is estimated rosewood will disappear from this part of Ghana in three years. The unrestrained harvesting is having a negative impact on the fragile ecology of the savannah regions of Ghana and other West African countries where it is found.

Al-Shabaab Funding Assessment

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies published in June 2017 a report titled "Al-Shabaab Financial Assessment" by Yaya J. Fanusie, a former CIA counterterrorism analyst, and Alex Entz.

The report concludes that al-Shabaab probably will see its funding grow in years to come as AMISOM draws down its support for the government of Somalia. Al-Shabaab's funding comes primarily from an extensive taxation system.

Expose on Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia

The nonpartisan watchdog organization Journalists for Justice, a project of the International Commission of Jurists in Kenya, published in November 2015 a detailed report titled "Black and White: Kenya's Criminal Racket in Somalia."  The devastating study looks at the conduct of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), who are part of the AMISOM operation in Somalia, in two areas: (1) sugar smuggling and financial enabling of al-Shabaab and, (2) human rights violations. 

The findings of the journalists included widespread human rights abuses by the KDF inside Somalia.  They also concluded that rather than taking the fight to al-Shabaab, the KDF is in garrison mode, sitting in bases while senior commanders are engaged in corrupt business practices with the Somali Jubaland administration and al-Shabaab, especially the trade in charcoal and sugar. 

Foreign Policy published on 12 November 2015 comments on the report titled "Report: Kenyan Military 'In Business' with Al-Shabab" by Ty McCormick.  According to McCormick, the report breaks new ground by exposing the extent of the KDF's involvement in the sugar trade and by illuminating the murky supply chain that runs from al-Shabaab territory, through the Kenyan controlled port of Kismayu, past corrupt border guards and into Kenya, greasing palms at every step along the way. 

Kenya at War with Al-Shabaab

African Affairs published in January 2015 an article titled "Kenya at War: Al-Shabaab and Its Enemies in Eastern Africa" by David M. Anderson, professor at the University of Warwick, and Jacob McKnight, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford African Health Systems Collaboration.

The article reviews the background to Kenya's invasion of southern Somalia, Operation Linda Nchi, and the prosecution of the war by Kenya's Defense Forces up to the capture of the city of Kismayo and the contest to control its lucrative port and the charcoal trade.  The authors then discuss al-Shabaab's response, showing how the  movement has reinvented itself to take the struggle into Kenya.  They conclude that while the military defeat of al-Shabaab in southern Somalia seems inevitable, such a victory may become irrelevant to Kenya's ability to negotiate a political settlement with its Somali and wider Muslim communities at home. 

Charcoal Trade Helps Finance Al-Shabaab

Foreign Affairs published on 18 November 2014 a brief report titled "Black Market: How the Charcoal Trade Fuels Al-Shabab" by Tom Keatinge, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.  The article underscores the degree to which the charcoal trade finances the operations of al-Shabaab in Somalia.

Access to the entire article requires a subscription to Foreign Affairs.

UN Security Council Monitoring Group Report on Somalia

The UN Security Council has released its 461 page Somalia Monitoring Group report dated 13 October 2014. 

The report notes that international investment at the political level and some reform efforts have not altered the underlying dynamics of the government system, which are largely a continuation of earlier transitional arrangements, in terms of both a lack of transparency of and accountability for public resources and clan-based interests dominating security forces and logistics.

Al-Shabaab, even after the death of Ahmed Godane, remains the principal threat to peace and security in Somalia and throughout the Horn of Africa.  Al-Shabaab maintains an effective and violent footprint in Mogadishu and demonstrated its operational reach beyond the capital by adopting an apparent economy of effort strategy.

In the Sool region of northeastern Somaliland, forces from Somaliland clashed with Puntland forces and militias loyal to Khatumo, a political organization based in the Dhulbahante clan that is pursuing the creation of a regional state within Somalia and separation from Somaliland.  The region is prone to conflict, given the competing claims by Somaliland, Puntland, and Khatumo over oil-rich territory there and political infighting among the Dhulbahante, who are divided in loyalty between Puntland, Khatumo, and Somaliland.

Somali piracy remains at a low point.  While piracy may be largely contained, however, many of its underlying causes continue to exist and it remains a threat to peace, security, and stability.

Underlying corruption as a system of governance has not yet fundamentally changed and, in some cases, arguably has worsened.

Humanitarian access in many parts of Somalia remained fragile.  Although physical access became possible throughout a larger territory, with the UN and NGOs establishing a presence in new locations, the quality and sustainability of that access degraded in many places owing to a combination of intensified conflict, increased displacement, and deteriorating security, in particular exacerbated by the joint national army and AMISOM offensive against al-Shabaab.

The international trade in Somali charcoal remains largely consistent with the period 2012-2013.  The transnational business architecture for the trade remains in place and continues to adapt to ensure large scale profit.  Upwards of 1 million bags of charcoal have been exported each month from Kismayo, in addition to those exported from al-Shabaab-controlled Barawe and other smaller ports.

The Somali Charcoal Industry-Strange Bedfellows

The Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) Africa Watch published on 10 July 2014 a brief account titled "The Somali Charcoal Industry-Strange Bedfellows" by George F. Ward, research staff member at IDA.

The article, which is based on a major report dealing with global environmental issues by the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and Interpol, comments on the unusual ties in the illegal charcoal trade involving al-Shabaab, the Gulf States, the Ras Kamboni militia, and the Kenyan Defense Forces in Somalia. 

UN Monitoring Group Report on Somalia

The United Nations released the massive Somalia report dated 12 July 2013 prepared by the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea.  It covers acts that threaten peace, security and stability of Somalia; violations of the arms embargo; obstruction of humanitarian assistance; violations of international humanitarian law; and violations of the ban on charcoal.  It contains annexes on al-Shabaab; spoiler networks in Somalia; piracy and kidnap for ransom; misappropriation of public financial resources; violations of the arms embargo; obstruction of humanitarian assistance; violations of international humanitarian law; and violations of the ban on charcoal.

That part of the report dealing with Eritrea may not be made public, according to Reuters in an article titled "Exclusive: Eritrea Pays Warlord to Influence Somalia - U.N. Experts" because of objections raised by Russia.  There have been other complaints about the two reports.  For example, the Mogadishu-based The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in a Response to Monitoring Group Allegations denied information about it and its director, Abdi Aynte. 

The Somali Federal Government subsequently objected to some of the information in the report and called for an adjudication panel for future monitoring group reports.

The Central Bank of Somalia also issued on 23 July 2013 a "Preliminary Response to Allegations of Corruption."

UN Security Council Resolution on Somalia

The UN Security Council adopted on 6 March 2012 a resolution on Somalia that lays out the future relationship of the international community with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS).  The resolution dissolves the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and establishes a UN mission located in Mogadishu.  It renews the deployment of AMISOM until 6 March 2014 and demands the protection of civilians.  It lifts the arms embargo on the FGS while keeping it in force for all non-state actors and forces not under the control and jurisdiction of the FGS.  Finally, it underscores the UN's concern with the violations of the Somali and UN ban on charcoal exports.

Mohamud Uluso wrote a brief and supportive analysis of the resolution titled "UN Resolution 2093 Endorses State Building Mission for Somalia" that appeared in Pambazuka News on 13 March 2013.