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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for drug trafficking (west africa)
6 results foundAuthor: Aning, Kwesi Title: ECOWAS and Conflict Prevention in West Africa: Confronting the Triple Threats Summary: West Africa’s relative stability following a period of violent and protracted conflicts in the 1990s is under increasing attack from a range of existing and emerging threats. The emergence or in some cases re-emergence of certain trends, namely armed sub-state groups, small arms flows and the narcotics trade could erode the stability that the region currently enjoys. Despite progress in consolidating democracy over the past two decades, a series of recent military coups has raised questions about the state of the democratic structures that are currently in place. More generally, much of the region is still waiting for a ‘democratic dividend’: despite the return to civilian rule and holding of periodic elections, the social and economic well being of the vast majority of people in the sub-region remain dire. The near simultaneous assassination’s of President Joao Bernado Vieira of Guinea Bissau and the country’s Chief of Staff, General Tagme Na Waie in 2008 was a glaring reminder of West Africa’s troubled past. Although a military takeover in Guinea (Conakry) was foreseen if and when the oft expected death of its long-term leader happened, the occurrence of a coup d’etat in December 2008, against the inept and incompetent regime following the death of President Lansana Conté, was nonetheless an unsettling development. There is no doubt that the re-emergence of coup d’etats is a manifestation of the weaknesses of the democratic systems that have been established; highlighting the need to ensure that democracy transcends the holding of periodic elections. At the heart of the problem is the growing abuse of power by civilian authorities. For instance, the issue of term limits has proved to be contentious as several civilians Heads of State have attempted to change their national constitutions to prolong their stay in power often in defiance of public opinion. Recent attempts by Niger’s President, Mamadu Tandja to change the country’s constitution to allow him a third term is a glaring manifestation of this troubling pattern. Meanwhile, the emergence of al-Qaeda affiliated groups, primarily in the Sahel constitutes a new form of transnational threat with wider global consequences. The activities of groups such as al-Qaeda in the Maghreb pose serious security threats to countries in the Sahel and beyond. Organized crime is also running rampant in the region. Outsiders find it hard to distinguish between criminal groups that are engaged in smuggling contraband items including hard drugs, groups with terrorist links and those with a political agenda. Establishing the differences between these groups is one of the hardest challenges confronting national, regional and international actors in their efforts to combat the multiple threats to stability in West Africa. These developments, coming against the backdrop of the current global economic and financial crisis has placed tremendous pressure on national governments as they struggle to cope with the dire effects of the crises and responding to these threats. The challenges are compounded by the shifting priorities of donor countries, some of whom have been forced to scale back their assistance due to the impact of the financial meltdown on their national budgets. It is against this backdrop that this paper addresses three critical transnational challenges, referred to as the “triple threats” confronting West Africa: governance, drug trafficking and small arms and light weapons (SALW). The combined effect of these threats could undermine the security and stability of the entire sub-region. The paper argues that understanding the broad dynamics and impacts of poor governance, the proliferation of SALW and drug trafficking is critical to maintaining regional stability as a whole. Details: New York: New York University, Center on International Cooperation, 2009. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2011 at: http://www.cic.nyu.edu/peacekeeping/conflict/docs/bah_ecowas.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Africa URL: http://www.cic.nyu.edu/peacekeeping/conflict/docs/bah_ecowas.pdf Shelf Number: 122576 Keywords: ContrabandDrug Trafficking (West Africa)Organized CrimeSmuggling |
Author: Andres, Amado Philip de Title: West Africa Under Attack: Drugs, Organized Crime and Terrorism as the New Threats to Global Security Summary: Drug trafficking in West and Central Africa is nothing more that the most visible symptom of a much deeper and destabilizing disease which is slowly but progressively affecting the bodies of African states and institutions. This paper provides an overview on the current situation in West Africa with regard to drug trafficking (cocaine, heroin and hashish), organized crime (from human trafficking to diamond trade and its link with terrorism financing) and terrorism. Details: UNISCI, 2008. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: UNISCI Discussion Papers, No. 16: Accessed November 19, 2011 at: http://www.ucm.es/info/unisci/revistas/UNISCI%20DP%2016%20-%20Andres.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Africa URL: http://www.ucm.es/info/unisci/revistas/UNISCI%20DP%2016%20-%20Andres.pdf Shelf Number: 123398 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (West Africa)Organized CrimeTerrorism |
Author: Shaw, Mark Title: Leadership Required: Drug Trafficking and the Crisis of Statehood in West Africa Summary: Beginning in the middle of the last decade, the international community was alerted to the fact that drug trafficking in West Africa was in danger of spawning a series of near ‘narco-states’: countries whose economies, politics and social structures were being infiltrated and distorted by the drug trade. Some seven years later, after an inadequate and uncoordinated response to that call to arms, the inevitable has happened. Where previously cocaine trafficking was one of the most important challenges the subregion faced, this has compounded exponentially, deepening a crisis of statehood that may be difficult to reverse. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has just started the first phase of a year-long research project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy on the relationship between statehood and illicit trafficking in West Africa. Recent interviews conducted on the ground in the subregion highlight unequivocally that current attempts at solving drug trafficking throughout West Africa have not achieved their stated objectives. Of more importance, however, is that they bring to the fore the seeming absence of political will – either nationally or internationally – to address the problem. This policy brief aims to remind any actor or institution that is serious about democracy, sustainable development and human security that a ‘business as usual’ approach to the problem of trafficking in West Africa should not be accepted. This is no longer an issue of crime, law enforcement, or security, but strikes at the core of the human rights, democratic and humanitarian foundations upon which global governance rests. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2012. 6p. Source: ISS Policy Brief No. 37: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2012 at http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/No37Oct2012Drugs.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Africa URL: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/No37Oct2012Drugs.pdf Shelf Number: 126697 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (West Africa)Human Security (West Africa)Narcotics and Crime (West Africa)National SecurityOrganized Crime (West Africa) |
Author: Aning, Kwesi Title: Drug Trafficking And Threats to National and Regional Security in West Africa Summary: In less than one and a half decades West Africa has become a major transit and repackaging hub for cocaine and heroin flowing from the Latin American and Asian producing areas to European markets. Drug trafficking is not new to the region; the phenomenon rapidly expanded in the mid-2000s as a result of a strategic shift of Latin American drug syndicates towards the rapidly growing European market, leading UNODC to state in 2008 that ‘…the crisis of drug trafficking … is gaining attention. Alarm bells are ringing …West Africa has become a hub for cocaine trafficking. This is more than a drugs problem. It is a serious security threat.” West Africa presents an ideal choice as a logistical transit center for drug traffickers: its geography makes detection difficult and facilitates transit; the region boasts well-established networks of West African smugglers and crime syndicates; and a vulnerable political environment creates opportunities for operation. In some countries, civil wars, insurgency operations, and coups have led to diminishing human capital, social infrastructure and productive national development assets. They have also generated instability, with an increase in the number of armed groups operating in the region and an increase in flows of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Instability in the Middle East has also seen flows of heavier weapons entering through the Sahel region. As in the case of Mali, drug traffickers have often availed of this instability to further their own interests. While violence on the scale of Latin American drug trafficking is yet to manifest itself, the potential for the drug trade to become a source of violent political competition in some countries nonetheless exists. More recently and as reports on drug use in the region increase, experts have highlighted the human security threats posed by drug trafficking, for which institutions and policy makers are particularly ill prepared to respond to. One of the main challenges lies in the fact that the predominant approach to drug trafficking in the region to date has been based on the international narcotics control regime which is centered on stemming the supply of drugs through law enforcement efforts. Limited focus has been placed on the health and developmental aspects of the spillover effects of drug trafficking, which over time could constitute a greater security threat to West Africa than currently acknowledged. This background paper examines the impact of drug trafficking on national and regional security in West Africa. The first sections provide an overview of the main security threats that drug trafficking is perceived to pose to states and the sub-region, including the links between drug trafficking and terrorism. Subsequently, the paper provides an overview of how the incidence of drug trafficking and perceived threats are being articulated in policy circles; and the nature of UN, AU and ECOWAS policy responses to drug trafficking and the security threats it poses. In the final section, the paper identifies knowledge gaps in the existing literature on drug trafficking in West Africa. Details: Accra, Ghana: West Africa Commission on Drugs, 2013. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: WACD Background Paper No.1: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Drug-Trafficking-and-Threats-to-National-and-Regional-Security-in-West-Africa-2013-04-03.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Drug-Trafficking-and-Threats-to-National-and-Regional-Security-in-West-Africa-2013-04-03.pdf Shelf Number: 128773 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (West Africa)Drug ViolenceOrganized Crime |
Author: Ralston, Laura Title: Trafficking and Fragility in West Africa Summary: Trafficking is an emerging concern in West Africa. In 2011, 17 percent of all cocaine consumed in Europe - 21 tons- passed through the region, for a retail value of US$1.7 billion. This paper discusses the evolution of trafficking in the region and provides estimates of the size and value of trafficking flows to demonstrate the significance of this illegal activity. Although this topic is gaining increasing attention, less attention has been has been paid to how trafficking is perpetuating fragility. This paper contributes to this area of research by identifying five channels through which trafficking is intensifying fragility in the region. The relative importance of each channel is discussed, with specific countries as case-study examples. Possible programmatic responses are then suggested with examples of policy approaches successfully adopted elsewhere in the world. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank, Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group, 2014. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research Working Paper 7079: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/10/31/000158349_20141031143922/Rendered/PDF/WPS7079.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/10/31/000158349_20141031143922/Rendered/PDF/WPS7079.pdf Shelf Number: 134024 Keywords: CocaineDrug Trafficking (West Africa)Economics of Crime |
Author: Gberie, Lansana Title: State Officials and their Involvement in Drug Trafficking in West Africa. Preliminary Findings Summary: This paper examines a controversial problem in West Africa: the alleged complicity of state security and political officials in drug trafficking. It builds on the assumption, borne out of experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean, that drug traffickers gain a foothold in a country only through the complicity of senior state political and security officials. Yet, as noted in an earlier WACD paper, it is also informed and facilitated by "the multiple and multi-layered governance deficits in the sub-region that have made it relatively susceptible to external penetration and capture by powerful, well-endowed and tightly-organized drug trafficking networks." The low number of convictions of senior state officials for their direct or indirect involvement in drug trafficking, whether in West Africa or elsewhere, makes it difficult to research these issues. Yet, a growing number of cases in which effective investigations and collaboration between states have led to important convictions and which have clearly identified the degree of collusion required to traffic drugs through a state are rendering this task less complex. Indeed, case files or reports from administrative inquiries into trafficking incidents can provide important insights into the depth and scope of the trafficking enterprise, and the degree of involvement or complicity of state officials. Open source material, such as the leaked US diplomatic cables, can be extremely insightful, as can interviews with national and foreign intelligence personnel, judges, and customs officials and similar. Studying non-action by state actors, including the police, the judiciary, internal oversight mechanisms, and even the highest levels of government in response to mounting allegations of state involvement in drug trafficking can also shed light on who might be involved in drug trafficking, colluding with traffickers or blocking investigations into such illicit activity, as can monitoring of some of the pitched media battles that have emerged between political parties regarding illicit sources of party and election campaign funding. In a region where high political office often immunes its holders from judicial sanctions it may well indicate that in some cases this complicity, passive or active, may involve people who are very high indeed in the political hierarchy. This background paper was developed using a range of these sources. Combined with information on the significant seizures of cocaine and heroin that have been recorded in the region, the paper suggests that the trafficking of hard drugs is indeed a pernicious problem provoking or exacerbating existing governance challenges such as corruption across West Africa. An open acknowledgement of the problem by West African leaders and political actors (whether in office or in the opposition) is urgently needed in order to bolster on-going efforts to tackle drug trafficking. The paper focuses principally on hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin which are produced in other regions and which are trans-shipped through West Africa to Europe and North America, particularly the US. It, therefore, does not discuss marijuana or cannabis - which is widely cultivated, used, and trafficked in West Africa, and is in effect traditional to the region - in the category of illicit drugs that could lead to serious governance and security problems. Neither does it discuss the emerging trend in methamphetamine production and trafficking in the region, although the author recognizes the latter as representing an important emerging challenge, and one that will also have important governance, security and health implications in the coming years. Details: West Africa Commission on Drugs, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: WACD Background Paper No. 5(1): Accessed November 26, 2014 at: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Officials-and-Drug-Trafficking-2013-12-03.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/State-Officials-and-Drug-Trafficking-2013-12-03.pdf Shelf Number: 134257 Keywords: Drug ControlDrug Trafficking (West Africa)Organized CrimePolitical Corruption |