West Africa’s Sahel becoming a drug trafficking corridor, UN warns
Al Jazeera
Drug seizures, mainly of cocaine and cannabis resin, have soared in the region, according to a UN report.
Drug seizures have soared in the West African Sahel region, according to a new United Nations report, indicating the conflict-ridden region is becoming an influential route for drug trafficking.
In 2022, 1,466kg (3,232 pounds) of cocaine were seized in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger compared to an average of 13kg (28.7 pounds) between 2013 and 2020, said the report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Friday.
Cocaine is the most seized drug in the Sahel after cannabis resin, the report added.
The location of the Sahel – lying south of the Sahara desert and running from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea – makes it a natural transit point for the increasing amount of cocaine produced in South America and destined for Europe.
The trafficking has detrimental effects on both peace and health, locally and globally, said Amado Philip de Andres, UNODC regional representative in West and Central Africa.
