North Korea's Illegal Trade System Affects Africa's Vulnerable Wildlife

White rhinos

North Korea has lately been in the news where it is increasingly pressed by international penalties enforced in attempt to stop its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs. But now, the nation has found creative ways to bring in money, often through smuggling in the guise of diplomacy. A new report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime has indicated that there appears to be a recent rise in Pyongyang's smuggling of African wildlife. The report has addressed that the trade is putting more pressure on Africa's elephant and rhino populations. There have been several incidents involving North Korean diplomats getting caught in connection to the illegal wildlife trade. For example, in 2015, a diplomat was expelled from South Africa after getting arrested in Mozambique with 4.5 kilograms of rhino horns and $100,000 in cash. According to researcher Julian Rademeyer, 18 out of 31 diplomats apprehended for smuggling elephant ivory and rhino horns in the past thirty years have been of North Korean origin. The reason for such instances is that about eleven African countries have trade relations with North Korea, partly because the nation provides good deals in order to prevent economic segregation. Therefore, many are unwilling to break those ties. According to Zachary Donnenfeld, a researcher from the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, no African government having economic ties with North Korea would ask so many questions if the nation offers a good deal on something like refined petroleum in the midst of heavy pressures on service delivery. When the North Korean embassy in Pretoria was contacted regarding the allegations in the report, the officials did not respond to any questions.

It is very disturbing to see that a country subjected to international controversy regarding nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs is involved in the illegal wildlife trade as means to bring in money. In addition, the economic ties between some African countries and North Korea are so deep that none of the governments doubt the nation's offers on good deals of exports like refined petroleum. This is because the deals prevent those countries from being economically isolated. Furthermore, whenever North Korean diplomats are arrested for smuggling ivory or rhino horns, they are not being punished by their superiors for their actions even though North Korean embassies are known to be very strictly controlled. Despite the existence of laws to stop the illegal trade by diplomats, the will to do so is not present for the fear of arousing tensions between North Korea and the African countries with which it has trade relations. This has got to change. The Vienna Convention seems to be the only place to present cases with proof that North Korea has been involved in the illegal trade of ivory and rhino horns, and act upon it.

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