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18 September 2024
It is easy to overlook the crisis that is approaching when surrounded by others. The international community could be ignoring a new threat in the Sahel, one that will have grave geopolitical implications in the region and beyond.
There is no shortage of crises in the Sahel region and its surrounding neighborhoods. Economic stagnation, Extreme weather and climate degradation, multiple Terrorist organizations and jihadist group A series of military claims are made to claim territory. The coups Non-jihadist groups are also committing democratic backsliding. Allies of rebels and separatists. youth bulge Widespread You can also find out more about the unemployment rate by clicking here., and a genocide All compete for the limited attention of the outside world.
Another crisis is brewing: the increase in drug trafficking. Originating in the AmericasThey are making their way across the Atlantic and into the European markets.
If the worst happens, this influx of drugs would have a significant impact on not only the region, but on the entire world.
The best-case scenario would be the introduction of new groups of well-funded, armed criminal enterprises in a region that is already volatile. The worst-case scenario would be the emergence of narcoterrorism at a previously unheard-of scale, and the entrenchment partnerships between drug smugglers with terrorist groups that are increasingly well-funded and have access to international connections.
The worst-case scenario would be if organizations like al-Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham are fueled and funded by one of the world’s largest drug markets.
A bad situation getting worse
According to the UN Office on Drugs and CrimeIn the region, an average of 13 kilograms of cocaine were seized each year between 2015 and 2020. In 2021 the amount of cocaine seized increased to 41 kilograms. In 2022, the amount seized jumped to 1,466 kg.
Comparing 2015 to 2016, this is an increase of 11,176%.
Before the UN had complete data for 2023, it cited that 2.3 tons Between January and June 2023, (just under two thousand kilograms of cocaine) had been seized alone in Mauritania. These statistics are alarming and don’t show the whole picture. The amounts seized are likely much higher than the amount trafficked.
Domestic drug use The rate of rise in the United States is increasing. The Sahel region, which is causing public health crises in many countries and is poorly resourced, has become a corridor for drug trafficking. The drugs are Outside bound The European market has seen a significant increase in activity. surging demand For illegal narcotics trafficking groups Searching for new routes to market.
The region is a smugglers’ paradise.
The region, which is located on the doorstep of Europe as well as the Middle East, is vast and sparsely populated. The region is also rife with poverty, and a growing number of youth are desperate for opportunities. Sahel countries are often plagued by weak governance, widespread corrupt practices, and ongoing conflicts with insurgents or fundamentalists.
Sahelian officials, but not only them, are susceptible to the influence of drug-gangs. Drug gangs have used officials in many documented cases around the world to further their agenda. Premier of the British Virgin Islands. After recent seizures and arrests, the UN Concerns expressed about the range of individuals–including the political elite, community leaders, and armed groups–who appear to be involved in facilitating drug trafficking.
The “armed groups” that are involved in drug trafficking in the Sahel are more concerning than the key individuals. In Latin America, the armed groups that facilitate drug trafficking include organizations such as FARC In Southeast Asia, they are militias Often, they are linked to regional forces or the drug traffickers. In the Sahel region, these are international jihadist groups, with global ambitions, and who are willing to export terror and violence from their base of operation.
Worrying signs
Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are active in the Sahel region. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa Muslimin (JNIM), Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) Boko Haram.
These groups are a good example. control vast swaths Land in the Sahel is Expanding Your Mind You can also find out more about the following: Entrenching They are also under their control. Competing with each otherThey are now searching for more resources. They are therefore among the groups who can most benefit from Financially benefit The drug trade is booming.
UNODC: The drug smuggling flow is opaque. Highlights The UNODC says that “limited evidence” that violent extremist armed group are involved in drug trafficking does not mean they are not. These groups, it adds, “are likely to benefit indirectly” by drug trafficking. It explains that groups like JNIM or ISGS charge taxes or fees to traffickers in the areas where they operate.
Even if they do not manage the drug trade directly, they will still benefit from the routes they create and the facilitation of drug smugglers in the territories that they control. A partnership of this kind could be devastating to the region and beyond.
UNODC warns that more information about the involvement of these groups in the drug trade may still be revealed. In the past, terrorist and jihadi groups have used the drug trade as a way to fund their operations and organizations. The Taliban in Afghanistan have Long been linked The opium trade and the drug trade have Supporting terrorismISIS in Syria has Produced drugs For the market in Europe smuggles drugs Hezbollah is spreading across the Middle East Colombian drug rings have been implicated.
As the Sahel becomes a major drug trafficking corridor terrorist groups may shift from facilitating it to actively managing and participating in the trade, spreading narcoterrorism and increasing funding for these groups. A war against drugs and narcoterrorism in the Sahel region would be a devastating addition the current war on terror in the region. 43 percent Global terrorism is responsible for thousands of deaths. This would be dangerous not only for the Sahel but also for the wider Middle East, Europe and Africa. Drug routes are well-known for facilitating other forms of international smuggling, and hiding activities from authorities. This is even more dangerous when they involve jihadist groups.
What the West can do
Unfortunately, the West cannot do much about the Sahel.
Both the United States Then, there is the European Union The (EU) has withdrawn from the region. This was due to military juntas who do not share Western values and concerns. Human rights. Various joint military operations that were underway to combat terror Groups have broken up As the United States and EU left and lost partners. This is unlikely change and if they do not have the partners to fight jihadist groups, then they will also be unable to combat drug smuggling.
They can, however, support and strengthen partnerships in West Africa with the coastal democracies, preventing the entry of drugs into the Sahel region.
West African democracies lead the fight against jihadists. Terrorists have been trying to expand their operations and territories in countries such as Senegal, Benin, Togo, Ghana. These democracies also fight drug smuggling on the frontlines and make waves with their seizures. Senegal’s Navy, for example, seized a large amount of drugs in November last year. Three tons of cocaine It was heading towards Europe. In April of this year, the country was in the news for seizing Cocaine weighing 1,140 kilograms The most intercepted ship ever on land was heading towards Mali. More seizures In June, a similar crackdown was implemented. In Ghana, authorities have also cracked down on trafficking. They made headlines after arresting two men who were attempting to smuggle Six million dollars worth of cocaine Through Accra’s Airport and to London. On September 7, in Guinea-Bissau (with the help of the US Drug Enforcement Administration and a European organisation called the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre), authorities (with the help of the US Drug Enforcement Administration and a European group called the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre). Seized 2.6 tons cocaine The first to arrive was from Latin America
As the flow of drugs continues, so does the The domestic drug use continues to increasePoliticians and societies in West Africa are equally interested in Addressing Drug trafficking is a serious crime. The United States and EU are. These West African democracies are willing partners in the fight against the twin threats of a growing drug trade and expanding terrorist groups.
If the Sahel becomes a home for narcoterrorism, the consequences will be catastrophic not only for Sahel, but for the entire world. The international community cannot ignore another crisis.
The Sahel region is now a major hub for drug trafficking. This is bad news for everyone.
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