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Rwanda’s high-end furniture market has developed a deep reliance on timber imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly prized for its strength, quality, and longevity.
In Kigali, furniture maker Nsengimana Jean Maurice says Congolese hardwoods like Libuyu, Muvura, Koand, and Afromosia can last over a century. “Even after 100 years, it’s still intact, unlike Rwandan timber,” he says.
But behind the polished chairs and elegant cabinetry lies a murky supply chain riddled with informal deals, weak enforcement, and environmental degradation in the DRC’s war-torn forests.
These loggers often work in remote areas under the control of armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). In regions like Cantine, Eringeti, Kainama, Baperes, and Bamate, timber extraction is closely linked to militia operations, with taxes and bribes flowing to warlords rather than the state.
In the eastern part of the DRC, where this wood originates, logging is either illegal or unregulated. In North Kivu’s Beni and Lubero territories, logging is predominantly artisanal. After the collapse of larger operators like ENRA, small-scale loggers, licensed and unlicensed, now supply the bulk of timber for both local and export markets.
According to Salumu Mawaya, president of a local plank suppliers’ cooperative, artisanal logging has become the default: “Only artisanal operations remain here, but most zones are insecure or under the influence of armed actors.”
Though over 100 artisanal permits have been issued since 2021, the absence of clearly demarcated logging zones has led to uncontrolled harvesting, often in protected areas like Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks. Timber is trafficked via routes like the Kasindi border post, Watalinga, and Bunagana, with the Kasindi crossing emerging as a major export corridor for timber headed to Rwanda.
When wood arrives in Rwanda
Once across the border, Congolese hardwoods are transformed into premium furniture in Rwanda’s growing wood industry. Timber workshops like Isubyo House of Art, Wood Habitat, and Inwood Rwanda rely on these imports to meet quality expectations. Rwanda imports an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 m³ of timber annually from the DRC. Between 2018 and 2020 alone, over 1.44 million kg of tropical mahogany were registered in official imports.
Key species such as Libuyu, Muvura, Koand, and Afromosia are in particularly high demand. These hardwoods are essential for high-end furniture and construction, with Libuyu priced at around USD 775/m³ and Muvura at approximately USD 691/m³.
The market is lucrative. A single plank of Congolese timber sells for 125.6 –139.6 US Dollars, plus taxes of around 14.6 USD. Once crafted into furniture, these pieces command 10 to 15 times the price of locally sourced alternatives. However, this boom has come at a cost: much of the wood arrives through informal or illegal channels, blurring the line between legitimate trade and trafficking.
Transporter Bizimana Mohamed explains how porous the process is. “There is no system to distinguish between legally and illegally acquired timber. Once it reaches the border, you just pay the taxes.”
To avoid higher tariffs or scrutiny, some traders reroute timber through Uganda or pay informal fees. The DRC–Rwanda border, with more than 150 informal crossings, makes enforcement nearly impossible.
Despite its environmental commitments, Rwanda has minimal regulatory oversight on timber imports. According to Trade Minister Prudence Sebahizi, there’s no special documentation required for importing timber. This leniency has enabled traders, especially larger operators, to bypass controls, undercutting conservation goals and encouraging exploitation of fragile Congolese ecosystems.
“We have three institutions responsible for quality standards: Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), and Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (RFDA). Previously, all importers had to obtain clearance, but we found this unnecessary for goods that don’t pose health risks. Currently, the permits apply only to medicines and food products,” he said in an interview.
Even as some traders and workshops begin adopting sustainable sourcing practices, illegal logging persists. Construction contractor François Nkurunziza, based in Kigali, acknowledges the presence of immature and illegally harvested wood in local markets. “Awareness is growing,” he says, “but the market is still full of this timber.”
Furniture maker Uwihanganye Emmanuel notes that “Congolese timber is distributed across Rwanda, reaching Rubavu, Musanze, and Kigali–but it’s becoming increasingly scarce.”
Jean Pierre Ntirenganya, a director at a major timber market in Musanze District, acknowledges the delicate balance between conservation and commerce. “Timber from Congo is in high demand and often runs out, so we are forced to buy from large traders in Kigali or Rubavu.”
“When it comes to forest conservation, we collaborate with the government and advise sellers and the public to avoid deforestation. Still, immature trees are being harvested, leading to poor-quality products. Our livelihoods depend on trees, so we must plant more and avoid destroying them,” he adds.
Fueled by conflicts
According to Mugaruka Katsibwami Moïse, head of the forest management office in North Kivu, timber flows from the DRC through a loosely controlled network of licensed loggers, intermediaries, and traffickers. Exporting loggers often fund smaller operators, covering costs for timber acquisition and transportation. Intermediaries bridge the gap between forest-based suppliers and large-scale buyers in Uganda and Rwanda.
The timber trade is not only lucrative but also politically and militarily charged. Fataki Baloti, coordinator of the SAPEDIC organization and advisor to the civil society coordination of Butembo, alleges that illegal logging, particularly within national parks, is being carried out by both Congolese and Ugandan soldiers:
“Illegal timber is sourced from nature reserves, especially from Virunga National Park, and exported to Rwanda and Uganda. Military actors, who disregard environmental laws, are at the heart of this illegal activity, leading to widespread deforestation and the destruction of woody species.”
These concerns are echoed by Raymond Buralike, president of the civil society group in Kabare territory, South Kivu. He accuses “strongmen,” including politicians, of facilitating illegal logging within Kahuzi-Biega National Park (PNKB). Logging in the Congo is often illegal, especially in protected areas like PNKB. It continues under the cover of powerful individuals using deception.”
Environmental fallout
The environmental toll is devastating. Logging in protected areas is rampant. In Kahuzi-Biega, logging intensified after 1996 and exploded post-2004, especially for redwood species. Timber from the park is ferried to Kasheke port and shipped to Goma, then on to Rwanda. Local civil society groups report widespread complicity from soldiers to politicians, who facilitate timber trafficking from national parks and nature reserves.
According to a December 2024 article by Gorilla FM, traffickers operate in Kajuchu, Muhini, Kaliba, Cofi, and Kasheke. Similarly, South Kivu’s Minister of Environment, Didier Kabi, confirmed that trucks and motorcycles were transporting timber from the park to Kasheke port.
In Kalonge and Walikale, foreign concession holders have been implicated in night-time logging operations, with timber smuggled along corridors like Bukavu–Nyangezi–Kamanyola and Itombwe–Shangugu. In Cibinda, a village in Kabare territory, resident CIMPE Mwinyi recounts that logging began in 1996, driven by Rwandan refugees. Since then, the practice has intensified.
Despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kahuzi-Biega is being stripped of its tree cover to meet regional timber demand—demand that increasingly ends in Rwandan workshops and showrooms.
Toward sustainable solutions?
Some Rwandan furniture companies, like Wood Habitat, are beginning to explore sustainable sourcing practices and aim to become fully sustainable by 2025. But these efforts remain the exception, not the rule.
This Story was produced by LAETITIA KAVIRA and TWAHIRWA Eric, supervised by INFONILE with the support of Global Forest Watch.
