In this feature, part of series exploring drug trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illegal drug trade.
According to one new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug trafficking in the Sahel continues to hinder security, economic development and the rule of law while endangering public health.
Amado Philip de Andres, head of the agency’s West and Central Africa regional office, said: “Drug trafficking has been widespread in the Sahel region – causing adverse consequences both locally and internationally. Global”.
“The increased flow of drugs to West Africa and the Sahel undermines peace and stability in the region,” he said. “This is not only a security issue as armed groups are seeking revenue to fund their operations but also a public health issue as criminal groups take advantage of population growth to expand illegal drug market.”
Marijuana seized in a drug sting. (document)
Large scale trade
In several Sahelian countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – cannabis resin remains the most commonly seized internationally smuggled drug, followed by cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids.
Indeed, cocaine seizures skyrocketed in the Sahel in 2022, from an average of 13 kilograms per year seized between 2015 and 2020 to 1,466 kilograms in 2022. UNODC assessment says this This indicates the presence of large-scale cocaine smuggling operations in the area.
According to the agency, although there is no annual estimate for 2023, by mid-year, 2.3 tons of cocaine had been seized in Mauritania.
New report shows the region’s geography makes it a “natural stopover” for the growing amount of cocaine produced in South America on its way to Europe, where demand for the drug is growing similar.
Experts test for cocaine in Guinea-Bissau. (document)
‘Vicious cycle’ linking human trafficking and instability
The report notes that the drug economy and instability in the Sahel are linked through a “vicious cycle” in which weak rule of law is enabling the drug economy to expand. That, in turn, could provide financial resources to maintain or expand conflict, thereby further weakening the rule of law.
New report shows that drug trafficking continues to finance armed groups in the region, including the Plateforme des mouvements du 14 juin 2014 d’Alger (Plateforme) in Algeria and the CoCogation des Mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) in Mali, facilitating drug trafficking that continues to finance armed groups in the region. they maintain their involvement in the conflict, especially through the purchase of weapons.
Meanwhile, smugglers are using money laundering to disguise their illicit proceeds in a growing number of sectors, from gold to real estate. That makes financial transactions harder to trace while giving smugglers greater economic leverage and “a veneer of legitimacy,” the report found.
Port control units established under the UNODC-supported container control program seized 260 tonnes of cocaine in 2023.
Corruption creates conditions for human traffickers
According to the report, corruption and money laundering are “key factors driving” drug trafficking.
Recent seizures, arrests and detentions in the Sahel region demonstrate how drug trafficking is facilitated by a wide range of individuals, which may include members of the political elite , community leaders and heads of armed groups.
According to UNODC, traffickers used their income to infiltrate various layers of the State, effectively allowing them to avoid prosecution.
The report also highlights clear evidence of the continued involvement of armed groups in the region’s drug trade and finds that affiliates of terrorist organizations may benefit indirectly. through coercion. zakata form of property tax, from smugglers and tax convoys passing through areas under their control.
Terrorist groups and organized crime
Combating terrorist groups operating in the Sahel received attention at the recent African High-Level Counter-Terrorism Conference, held in Abuja, Nigeria, at the end of April. Among the concerns raised by world leaders States in the region point to the growing link between terrorism and organized crime.
Speaking at the meeting, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed describe The situation in Africa, especially in the Sahel, is increasingly dire, noting that the region now accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally.
“The main factor driving the rise of insurgency in the Sahel is organized crime, especially the proliferation and smuggling of weapons across our porous borders,” she said. “The availability of weapons empowers terrorist groups, which are often better equipped with the latest technology.”
Children playing in front of a police station in Gao were attacked by terrorists.
Da’esh, Al-Qaida advance south
At the meeting, UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov warned that Da’esh, Al-Qaida and their affiliates have made significant gains in the Sahel and are moving towards south to the Gulf of Guinea.
“We recognize that no single actor can alone address the current threats to peace and security,” he said. speak. “Instead, we need multiple actors working together, with solutions based on strong country ownership and supported by donor partners.”
A “step change” in commitments to address those complex challenges, he said, comes with the launch of the United Nations Joint Call to Counter Terrorism in Africa, bringing together 16 entities of the United Nations to support 10 new multi-partner initiatives across the continent to address such important issues. areas such as border management and counter-terrorism across the continent and the relationship between terrorism and organized crime.
A detention center in Bamako, Mali. (document)
Wake up
Meanwhile, local and regional actors continue to join forces to combat illegal drug trafficking in the Sahel, according to UNODC.
Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, said the agency’s new report should serve as a “wake-up call”.
He said: “Countries in the Sahel region – along with the international community – must take urgent, coordinated and comprehensive action to dismantle drug trafficking networks and bring back the lives of people in these areas. This country has the future it deserves.”
