How organized Crime is destabilising west Africa
We are sharing, today, some highlights on organized crime networks and activities in West Africa.
A report – “Transnational organised crime in west Africa: a threat assessment”
, published by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – shows that maritime piracy, counterfeit
medicines, cocaine smuggling, the emergence of methamphetamine production, and
an increase in the trafficking of heroin, people and arms are creating
instability in west Africa.
Those data are even more interesting in line with the ongoing crisis in Mali and the links between terrorism and organized crime.
Quoting a press release from Yury Fedotov, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , we noted that:
Contrary to popular belief, dirty money does not bring the benefits associated with its licit counterpart. Border communities may profit from the flow of drugs and other contraband, but legitimate commerce can find it difficult to compete. The result is that illicit money ‘crowds out' licit money that desperately need thriving local economies.
The EU – and the rest
of the world – should back international efforts to curb the growing
problem of organised crime in west Africa.
While
Mali is slipping out of the international headlines and attention is drifting
away from the region, the drug and crime problems facing west Africa remain.
A new report – “Transnational organised crime in west Africa: a threat assessment” , published by my office, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – shows that maritime piracy, counterfeit medicines, cocaine smuggling, the emergence of methamphetamine production, and an increase in the trafficking of heroin, people and arms are creating instability in west Africa. We can gain an insight into how these criminal markets cast such a long shadow over west Africa by looking at just one of this kaleidoscope of criminal activities: cocaine-trafficking.
Our assessment suggests that the amount of cocaine smuggled through the region has declined, from a high of 47 tons in 2007 to 18 tons in 2011. But, before congratulations are offered for a job well done, it is worth understanding a little of the drug trafficking history, as well as the tremendous impact of drugs in areas such as development, good governance and health.
Global trends have changed considerably. Cocaine use in the United States has declined, but demand in Europe has doubled. Europe's cocaine market (estimated to be $33 billion, or €25bn, in 2009) is now almost equal to that of the US market ($37bn, or €28bn).
Since 2005, Europe's law-enforcement agencies have worked hard to make direct smuggling more difficult; this has led cocaine traffickers from south America to use west Africa as a staging post for deliveries into Europe.
The UNODC estimates that the wholesale value of the 18 tons of cocaine shipped from west Africa to Europe in 2011 was worth $1.25bn (€960 million), an amount greater than the security budgets of many of the countries in west Africa. These drugs have provided west African drug-traffickers with huge amounts of disposable cash.
Contrary to popular belief, dirty money does not bring the benefits associated with its licit counterpart. Border communities may profit from the flow of drugs and other contraband, but legitimate commerce can find it difficult to compete. The result is that illicit money ‘crowds out' licit money that desperately need thriving local economies.
Profits used for bribery can also destabilise governments, as officials from different factions compete with each other for a share of the spoils. Guinea-Bissau is perhaps the best example of how drug money can affect good governance.
Although west Africa is largely viewed as a transit route, cocaine consumption is now growing in the region itself. UNODC estimates that there may be as many as two million cocaine users in west (and central) Africa. Once a question of security, cocaine is now an issue of public health and safety. It is a problem that these fragile countries and their communities can ill afford.
Finding a response
The region faces continued instability and lawlessness unless all the crimes covered in UNODC's assessment are addressed in an integrated manner. Tailored responses are needed, but an essential first step is to strengthen the rule of law and the ability of states to respond to these challenges.
States in the region and the international community also need better information. The more we understand the threat, the better we will be able to deliver a targeted response. Law-enforcement agencies, both regionally and worldwide, also need to share information and conduct joint operations.
We also need to track the financial proceeds of drugs. Criminals cannot function if we sever their sources of funding and prevent them from laundering money. To confront illicit drugs as a health issue, we also need to promote high-quality drug treatment and rehabilitation services and to reduce demand and HIV transmission among drug-users and in prisons.
Above all, the international community needs to keep in mind that cocaine-trafficking is not just a local and regional problem, but also an international and global challenge. We share a responsibility to assist west Africa through approaches that link different regions and law-enforcement and health agencies, as well as the international community.
One important initiative is the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI), which was established by several UN and non-UN bodies – including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and Interpol – and focuses on providing technical assistance and establishing a network of trans-national crime units in the region. In Sierra Leone, the crime unit has investigated a series of crimes leading to a number of convictions.
By focusing on information exchange and law-enforcement co-operation, WACI has an opportunity to be a strong partner to the EU's already existing partnership with ECOWAS states. However, to make an impact the initiative needs proper funding.
West Africa has been battered and bruised by illicit drugs and crime, its future rests in the hands of its people, communities and governments. To assist, we must continue to work downstream to prevent drugs from leaving south America. Further upstream, in European countries, we need to seize the drugs on arrival and make every effort to curb demand.
A new report – “Transnational organised crime in west Africa: a threat assessment” , published by my office, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – shows that maritime piracy, counterfeit medicines, cocaine smuggling, the emergence of methamphetamine production, and an increase in the trafficking of heroin, people and arms are creating instability in west Africa. We can gain an insight into how these criminal markets cast such a long shadow over west Africa by looking at just one of this kaleidoscope of criminal activities: cocaine-trafficking.
Our assessment suggests that the amount of cocaine smuggled through the region has declined, from a high of 47 tons in 2007 to 18 tons in 2011. But, before congratulations are offered for a job well done, it is worth understanding a little of the drug trafficking history, as well as the tremendous impact of drugs in areas such as development, good governance and health.
Global trends have changed considerably. Cocaine use in the United States has declined, but demand in Europe has doubled. Europe's cocaine market (estimated to be $33 billion, or €25bn, in 2009) is now almost equal to that of the US market ($37bn, or €28bn).
Since 2005, Europe's law-enforcement agencies have worked hard to make direct smuggling more difficult; this has led cocaine traffickers from south America to use west Africa as a staging post for deliveries into Europe.
The UNODC estimates that the wholesale value of the 18 tons of cocaine shipped from west Africa to Europe in 2011 was worth $1.25bn (€960 million), an amount greater than the security budgets of many of the countries in west Africa. These drugs have provided west African drug-traffickers with huge amounts of disposable cash.
Contrary to popular belief, dirty money does not bring the benefits associated with its licit counterpart. Border communities may profit from the flow of drugs and other contraband, but legitimate commerce can find it difficult to compete. The result is that illicit money ‘crowds out' licit money that desperately need thriving local economies.
Profits used for bribery can also destabilise governments, as officials from different factions compete with each other for a share of the spoils. Guinea-Bissau is perhaps the best example of how drug money can affect good governance.
Although west Africa is largely viewed as a transit route, cocaine consumption is now growing in the region itself. UNODC estimates that there may be as many as two million cocaine users in west (and central) Africa. Once a question of security, cocaine is now an issue of public health and safety. It is a problem that these fragile countries and their communities can ill afford.
Finding a response
The region faces continued instability and lawlessness unless all the crimes covered in UNODC's assessment are addressed in an integrated manner. Tailored responses are needed, but an essential first step is to strengthen the rule of law and the ability of states to respond to these challenges.
States in the region and the international community also need better information. The more we understand the threat, the better we will be able to deliver a targeted response. Law-enforcement agencies, both regionally and worldwide, also need to share information and conduct joint operations.
We also need to track the financial proceeds of drugs. Criminals cannot function if we sever their sources of funding and prevent them from laundering money. To confront illicit drugs as a health issue, we also need to promote high-quality drug treatment and rehabilitation services and to reduce demand and HIV transmission among drug-users and in prisons.
Above all, the international community needs to keep in mind that cocaine-trafficking is not just a local and regional problem, but also an international and global challenge. We share a responsibility to assist west Africa through approaches that link different regions and law-enforcement and health agencies, as well as the international community.
One important initiative is the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI), which was established by several UN and non-UN bodies – including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and Interpol – and focuses on providing technical assistance and establishing a network of trans-national crime units in the region. In Sierra Leone, the crime unit has investigated a series of crimes leading to a number of convictions.
By focusing on information exchange and law-enforcement co-operation, WACI has an opportunity to be a strong partner to the EU's already existing partnership with ECOWAS states. However, to make an impact the initiative needs proper funding.
West Africa has been battered and bruised by illicit drugs and crime, its future rests in the hands of its people, communities and governments. To assist, we must continue to work downstream to prevent drugs from leaving south America. Further upstream, in European countries, we need to seize the drugs on arrival and make every effort to curb demand.
