Drug trafficking undermining stability and development in Sahel region, says new report from UNODC

Drug trafficking in the Sahel region - i.e., Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and the Niger - continues to hinder security, economic development and the rule of law while jeopardizing public health, said a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today.

Cannabis resin remains the internationally trafficked drug most commonly seized in the Sahel countries, followed by cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids.

Seizures of cocaine skyrocketed in the Sahel in 2022 from an average of 13 kg per year seized between 2015-2020 to 1,466 kg in 2022, suggesting the presence of large-scale cocaine trafficking through the region. Although annual estimates were not available for 2023, 2.3 tons of cocaine had already been seized in Mauritania by June 2023. The region's geographical location makes it a natural stopover point for the increasing amount of cocaine produced in South America en route to Europe, which has seen a similar rise in demand for the drug.

"Drug trafficking is well-established in the Sahel region - with detrimental consequences both locally and globally," said Amado Philip de Andrés, UNODC Regional Representative in West and Central Africa. "The involvement of various armed groups in drug trafficking continues to undermine peace and stability in the region."

The drug economy and instability in the Sahel are linked through a vicious cycle, the report notes, in which the weak rule of law is facilitating the expansion of the drug economy, which can, in turn, provide financial resources for maintaining or expanding conflicts, which then continues to weaken the rule of law.

The report finds that drug trafficking continues to provide financial resources to armed groups in the region, including Plateforme des mouvements du 14 juin 2014 d'Alger (Plateforme) and Coordination des Mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA) in Mali, enabling them to sustain their involvement in conflict, notably through the purchase of weapons.

Corruption and money laundering are major enablers of drug trafficking, according to the report. Recent seizures, arrests, and detentions in the Sahel region reveal how drug trafficking is facilitated by a wide range of individuals, which can include members of the political elite, community leaders, and leaders of armed groups. Traffickers have used their income to penetrate different layers of the state, allowing them to effectively avoid prosecution.

Through money-laundering, meanwhile, traffickers are disguising their illicit proceeds in growing sectors, including gold and real estate, making financial transactions more difficult to track while giving the traffickers greater economic leverage and a veneer of legitimacy.

"The increase in the number and volume of drug seizures in the Sahel demonstrates the commitment of local authorities to combatting organized crime," said Amado Philip de Andrés. "The time for decisive action to disrupt drug trafficking networks is now - including through evidence-based prevention and treatment services, strengthening legal frameworks, and enhanced international cooperation at the law enforcement and prosecutorial levels."

"The United Nations hopes that this report will serve as a wake-up call," added Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel. "States in the Sahel region - along with the international community - must take urgent, coordinated, and comprehensive action to dismantle drug trafficking networks and give the people in these countries the future they deserve."

Read the full report here.

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