Drug trafficking cases in west Africa continue to increase. Interpol estimates that two-thirds of drugs to be sold in Europe this year will go through West- Africa. Former operations chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Michael Braun, has made a similar statement about the alarming drug trafficking situation in West Africa, corroborating the prediction by Interpol. Mr. Braun was quoted by the Associated Press on March 15, 2009, as saying, “vast majority of cocaine that is destined for Europe is now going through West Africa."
It is feared that the new wave of drug trade in the sub-region could lead to more violent crimes in a region that is already home to poverty and insecurity.
The US and Mexican Drug Battle and Africa
The United States has pledged to help Mexico deal with the drug menace. Fighting the Drug gangs may be difficult but dismatling the cartels, will be a crucial step in dealing with the narcotic problem. The reality is that most of the drugs that go through Africa to Europe and the United States are mainly from the Caribbeans and the Mexican regions. Dealing with the cartels in Mexico will, therefore, contribute immensely towards solving the problem. The US commitment to fighting the drug problem in the world and Mexico in particular, is therefore commendable.
Politicians and Drugs Trafficking Problem
Guinea, one of the poorest countries on the African continent, is fast gaining notoriety as the ‘Mecca of drug trafficking.’ Recent arrests and ongoing investigations in that country have implicated top politicians and other influential persons in the drug trade. In a latest raid by Guinean security personnel, Ousmane Conte, son of Guinean former military dictator, Lansana Conte, was arrested.
The arrest and subsequent confession by Conte has led to revelations of how a drug cartel in that country has enjoyed protection from political figures over the years. "I acknowledge that I was in the drug business — and I regret it," Conte was quoted by Times Online of February 28, 2009. Conte is said to have practiced the trade for long in the French speaking West African state where even the first family is under drug-related investigations.
Currently, it is estimated that over 50 tons of cocaine valued at about £1.4billion are shipped to Europe yearly, mainly through West African countries with Guinea as a key transiting country.
The alarming rate of drug trafficking in the West Africa sub-region is partly blamed on lack of commitment by political leaders to deal with the menace since in some instances, they are themselves involved in the business. The UNODC has therefore called on UN and other international bodies to quickly intervene to save the situation from getting out of hand.
Drug Trade and Political Instability
Drug experts say cocaine and other narcotic drugs are resources that gangs will be ready to lay down their lives for mainly because of the relative ease with which people can enrich themselves through drug deals. Times Online of February 28, 2009 quoted Mr. Corinne Dufka, a West African expert at Human Rights Watch as observing that, “What we're seeing is the criminalisation of the state as a result of drug trafficking.” Mr. Dufka further stressed that the unlimited cash in the hands of drug cartels in the sub-region, poses a threat to the stability of governments in the sub-region.
Emphasising the dangers of drug trade and trafficking in the sub-region at a conference organised by the Government of Ghana and the UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Accra recently, Dr. J. B. Asare, member of the International Narcotics Control Board, warned that drug trafficking poses a serious threat to the stability of Ghana.
Dr. Asare hinted that there could be the emergence of contract killings and other violent crimes in Ghana if state authorities failed to take drastic measure to deal with the drug trafficking menace that had engulfed the country especially in the last couple of years.
Already, a number of countries in Africa are confronted with conflicts over the control of natural resources. Such conflicts are still ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, among others, where thousands have been killed. The African Union and the UN are still struggling to find a lasting peace to the several conflict areas across the continent. Drug-related conflicts would only worsen the plight of citizens of these already poor and conflict-thorn countries.
