KEY POINTS
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The Sentry wants the EU to classify the Central African Republic as standard risk for deforestation.
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The report alleges corruption, weak regulation and links between timber firms and Wagner.
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Bois Rouge retains its logging concessions despite US and UK sanctions.
A US-based investigative research organisation has called for stricter international oversight of the Central African Republic’s timber industry, citing alleged corruption, weak regulation and the continued presence of businesses linked to sanctioned individuals and groups.
The Sentry made the recommendation in a report published on Tuesday, November 10, urging the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom and the United States to strengthen their monitoring of timber companies operating in the country.
The organisation said significant irregularities in the sector raised concerns about the origin of timber exports and the effectiveness of measures intended to prevent illegal logging and deforestation.
The Sentry wants EU to change risk classification
Forests cover about two-thirds of the Central African Republic, making timber an important natural resource and contributor to the country’s export earnings.
Foreign companies operate logging concessions across the country, but The Sentry said corruption, regulatory neglect and a lack of transparency had created opportunities for irregularities in the industry.
The EU currently classifies the Central African Republic as a low-risk country under its Deforestation Regulation. This means there is considered to be a relatively small likelihood that products from the country are associated with deforestation.
However, The Sentry argued that the classification should be raised to standard risk, which indicates a moderate likelihood of deforestation and requires additional due diligence.
The proposed change would subject timber products from the country to closer scrutiny and require businesses to undertake further checks to establish that their supply chains are not connected to deforestation.
Wagner-linked timber company faces scrutiny
The report also called on the EU, Britain and the United States to investigate and consider sanctions against companies associated with Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which has operated in the Central African Republic since 2018.
One of the companies identified is Bois Rouge, a timber firm operating in the country and linked to Wagner.
In 2024, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Bois Rouge, accusing the company of seeking financial gains through the illicit extraction of natural resources.
Britain also sanctioned the company later that year.
Despite the restrictions, The Sentry said no action had been taken to revoke the logging concessions held by Bois Rouge. The organisation argued that the continued existence of the concessions raised questions about the enforcement of sanctions and oversight of the country’s timber resources.
Government and company yet to comment
The Central African Republic government and Bois Rouge did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations and recommendations contained in the report.
The Sentry’s findings place renewed attention on the management of the country’s forests and the role of foreign companies in its timber industry.
Its recommendations would require international authorities to reassess the risks associated with timber sourced from the country and examine whether existing sanctions against businesses linked to illicit resource extraction are being enforced effectively.
