Introduction in the west african subregion the phenomenon of trafficking in persons is widespread. But it is growing exponentially and threatening to turn the region into an epicentre of lawlessness and instability. Jun 23, 2017 world drug report traces trafficking across africa by at editor 23 june 2017 at 6. West african children rescued from slavery in pictures. Many of the nationstates in the region are empirically weak. The incident monitoring component of the enact project systematically records instances of transnational organised crime in africa. Introduction 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 and threats to national and regional security in. The outbreak of intrastate conflicts in west africa, beginning with liberia in 1989, added mercenarism, small arms trafficking and the recruitment of child soldiers and fighters to the crossborder crimes. Workshop on narcoticstrafficking and political instability. Since the 2000s, drug trafficking has played a role in the development of unprecedented forms and levels of violence. The views expressed in this paper do not reflect those of. The views expressed in this paper do not reflect those of the wacd. New york, april 1, 2003 west african governments are failing to address a rampant traffic in child labor that could worsen with the regions growing aids crisis, human rights watch charged.
Trafficking is an emerging concern in west africa, gaining increasing attention from the international community. Here in west africa, millions of youth are affected by this brutal, entrenched trade. Between 2005 and 2008, at least 46 tons of cocaine were seized in west africa alone. It views human trafficking on the continent as externallydriven. As part of their applied project, second year students from the department of strategic communication had to collect quantitative data on the levels of awareness of trafficking in persons in south africa. On june 23, 2009, the senate foreign relations committee held a hearing entitled confronting drug trafficking in west africa. Caribbean, the level of trafficking through west africa has increased to a quarter of europe.
Children in west africa are being trafficked at an alarming rate, often sold by their own families. Not just in transit west africa commission on drugs. Drugs and crime unodc estimates that west african criminal. As soon as africa was initiated into the slave trade, the trade persisted. Mcguire abstract west africa is one of the most impoverished, underdeveloped, and instabilityprone regions in the world. Drug trafficking and threats to national and regional security in west africa 1. The threat of drug trafficking in africa has drawn attention in recent congresses. By doing this, it aims to broaden the evidence base of the scale and nature of the phenomenon. The emergence of significant drug trafficking routes in west africa, particularly of cocaine from latin america to. Pdf on dec 25, 2017, chris mensahankrah and others published the modern trend of human trafficking in af rica and the role of the african union find, read and cite all the research you need. The study and final publication comprehensive assessment of drug trafficking and organised crime in west and central africa was commissioned by the african union. Report of the eastern and horn of africa conference on.
Telling the story of drugs in west africa swansea university. Eg pahad, minister in the presidency of the republic of south africa, delivered at the global initiative to fight human trafficking interfaith dialogue held in cape town, south africa, on 35 october 2007. Trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, in africa v contents foreword vii 1 introduction 1 1. For a complete list and pdf versions of publications by the frederick s. The article probes how the african diaspora and international travel service these emerging drug networks in ghana, west africa, europe and the americas.
It was prepared by management systems international and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of usaid or the u. Drug trafficking in west africa, they argue, should not be viewed as a peripheral concern it is a national security issue. Drug trafficking often complicates and extends armed conflicts by providing revenue needed to purchase weapons, corrupting law enforcement and military officers, and diverting. That rough number bass 2004, 153 has been cited by unicef. Trafficking and its impact on west africa world bank documents. Among other measures the ivorian government should 4 ending child trafficking in west africa lessons from the ivorian cocoa sector 1 gtz, 2005. As part of their applied project, second year students from the department of strategic communication had to collect quantitative data on the levels of awareness of trafficking in.
The trafficking of children is one of the gravest violations of human rights in the world today. Crime and governance in west africa west africa offers many advantages for organized criminals. Initiative to fight human trafficking interfaith dialogue held in cape town, south africa, on 35 october 2007. Since the mid1990s, in central and west africa, trafficking in hard drugs has become a booming business, with increasingly serious side effects. Sierra leone is primarily a source country both for internal trafficking from rural to urban areas as well as trafficking abroad. This preliminary assessment finds that child trafficking is an issue of concern in sierra leone. South africa by deconstructing the international and south african human trafficking discourses and underlying agendas of state and nonstate actors involved in counter trafficking and assess the impact this has on countertrafficking responses in practice. Drug trafficking, especially of cocaine, has increased dramatically through west africa in recent years. World drug report traces trafficking across africa africa times. Emmanuel kwaku akyeampong, diaspora and drug trafficking in west africa.
West africas international drug trade stephen ellis abstract since the publication in 2007 of a report on west africas role in the illegal cocaine trade from latin america to europe, considerable media attention has focused on guineabissau in particular as. Drug trafficking and the role of civil society in west africa. Left unchecked, the spread of narcotics trafficking in west africa would contribute to destabilizing u. Thefwadtwouldbestructuredasa spaceforsharingexperiences. African diaspora and international travel service these emerging drug networks in ghana, west africa, europe and the americas. The childrens act 1 attempts to define and make provision for the trafficking of children but its application is limited to children only and not to trafficking of persons as a whole. Feb 18, 2014 1 this is a revised version of a paper prepared for and presented to the west africa commission on the impact of drug trafficking on security, governance and development in west africa wacd in accra, ghana on 31 january 20. Finally, western african countries are perceived as having a permissive working environment for drug traffickers due to widespread corruption and poor law. Africa and south asia especially the mekong area are among the worst. West african criminal networks are generally characterized by.
Human trafficking awareness survey results about the study the study was conducted in the second quarter of 2014. Pdf west africas international drug trade researchgate. West africa, which never had a drugs problem in the past, has become a hub for cocaine. Northern mali is not a drug producing area, nor even the only transit zone in west africa. Comprehensive assessment of organised crime in west and. The crisis of drug trafficking in west africa is gaining attention, in the media and. Research in three languages was provided by laura adal, andreia teixeira, and judith ulirsch. It was the europeans that opened africa up for gang slavery exporting large numbers of people to the west knight, 1996. A case study of ghana article in african affairs 104416.
Drug trafficking is an ever mounting international security problem. Drugtrafficking, especially of cocaine, has increased dramatically through west africa in recent years. Drug trafficking on governance, security and development in west africa wacd. Combating forced labour and human trafficking in africa. West africa the regions pivotal role in international drug. Understanding the nature and threats of drug trafficking to. Current patterns of child trafficking in west and central africa although, child trafficking is a global problem, the practice is particularly widespread in some regions. World drug report traces trafficking across africa by at editor 23 june 2017 at 6. It suggests that the concept of an ideological diaspora could shed light on a shared global popular culture, which constitutes a counter culture and rationalizes criminal activities. The drug trafficking problem in west africa is still small by the standards of west asia, the caribbean or central america. Obot, prevention and treatment of drug dependence in west africa wacd background. The consequences of drug trafficking in the country are unparalleled in the region, however. Drug trafficking as a security threat in west africa united nations.
South africa currently has no legislation enacted that comprehensively and substantially criminalises the trafficking of persons. Before 2005, seizures from all of africa rarely totaled more than one ton a year. Stop trafficking in child labor human rights watch. South africa by deconstructing the international and south african human trafficking discourses and underlying agendas of state and nonstate actors involved in counter trafficking and assess the impact this has on counter trafficking responses in practice. Interdiction efforts adapt as drug trafficking in africa. The use of south african drug mules in crossborder smuggling by anjelee van heerden submitted in accordance with the requirements for the masters degree in the subject of criminology at the university of south africa supervisor. Human trafficking in eastern africa research assessment and baseline information in tanzania, kenya, uganda, and burundi cent of survey respondents agreed that people in their area know what human traffickingis. West africa is hub for international drug trafficking world. Drug trafficking and counternarcotics policies in mali and guinea. Apr 17, 2008 children in west africa are being trafficked at an alarming rate, often sold by their own families. Forced labour and human trafficking in africa conventional wisdom considers human trafficking and forced labour as a function of endogenous forces, including indigenous tradition and cultural practices in africa.
Drug trafficking and the threat to nigerias national. Many of these children are then forced to work as manual laborers or as domestic servants. Uchendu 2002 observed that the igbo country was one of. A programming guide april 20 this report was made possible by the support of the american people through the u. Trafficking and fragility in west africa world bank.
West africa, despite international efforts to combat global drug trafficking, is a hot spot for smuggling cocaine and other narcotics into europe from latin america. Towards an international strategy to deal with drug trafficking. One phenomenon that has had huge negative implications on the political, economic and social spheres of almost every country on the face of the earth is the production, trafficking, marketing and consumption of illicit drugs. The conventional wisdom is that 200 000 children a year are trafficked in west africa alone. Drug trafficking is a major transnational threat in africa that converges with other illicit activities ranging from money laundering to human trafficking and terrorism. Pdf the modern trend of human trafficking in africa and. Initiatives on combating trafficking in persons have been undertaken on a. Drug trafficking and threats to national and regional. West africa, like any other region in the world, has had to swallow its fair share of modernday political, economic and social dilemmas. The west african drug trade in context of the regions. It concludes with recommendations on how the region can respond humanely, effectively and preemptively to these problems.
Alarm bells are ringing about the volume of cocaine transiting the region roughly 50 tons a year, and its impact on the security of fragile states. Cocaine trafficking in western africa, october 2007 3 cocaine trafficking in western africa situation report october 2007 although cocaine is not produced in africa, the rapid increase in seizures suggests that the continent, and in particular its western region, is growing in importance as a transit area for cocaine trafficking between latin. An effort was made to involve many organisations with varied experiences on human trafficking and forced labour in the east and the horn of africa while borrowing heavily from those in west africa. For south american cocaine traffickers, it stands midway between the andean producing countries and the european consumer market.
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