Drug Trafficking: A persistent challenge in the Sahel

As the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel has emphasized 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.

Over the past decade, the Sahel countries have been affected by a high level of conflict and related political violence. The political landscape in the Sahel countries also remains volatile. Among multiple factors that impact the security and political situation in the Sahel countries, organized crime and drug trafficking undermine the stability and development of the region.

Drug trafficking in the Sahel continues to hinder security, economic development and the rule of law while jeopardizing public health and undermining peace and stability in the region, as reported by UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This is not only a security issue as armed groups are deriving revenue to finance their operations, but also a public health challenge as criminal groups tap into population growth to expand illicit drug markets.

The challenges caused by drug trafficking in the Sahel countries are aggravated by using the region to launder criminal proceeds, including through trade-based money laundering, making financial transactions more difficult to track while creating additional income opportunities. According to UNODC, the drug economy and instability in the Sahel are linked through a vicious cycle in which weak rule of law facilitates the expansion of the drug economy, providing financial resources to keep or expand the conflict while undermining the state response.

One of the most significant enablers of drug trafficking in the Sahel is corruption, which can include members of the political elite and leaders of armed groups and community leaders. Recent seizures, arrests and detentions in the Sahel countries highlighted how drug trafficking is facilitated by a wide range of individuals, comprising politicians and members of the security forces and judiciary.

Competition over drug trafficking routes in the Sahel and interceptions of drug convoys by competing armed groups have resulted in violent clashes and reprisals, leading to numerous deaths and injuries among those groups, perpetuating the cycle of violence. Corruption and the perception that drug traffickers, including members of armed groups and individuals under sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, carry out their criminal activities with relative impunity, undermine the credibility and legitimacy of state institutions. Drug trafficking also undermines economic development in the Sahel countries, imposing a direct and increasing impact on people’s health as local drug markets expand.

The fact that there appears to be limited evidence of the involvement of violent extremist armed groups in drug trafficking in the Sahel countries does not mean that such groups are not involved. Besides, violent extremist armed groups are likely to benefit indirectly from drug trafficking, such as through the payment by traffickers of zakat, which is a form of wealth tax, or by taxing convoys that cross areas under their control.

Meanwhile, local and regional actors continue to join forces to combat the illegal drug trade in the Sahel, according to UNODC. As the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel has emphasized 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.

The responsibility to address such threats and challenges lies with States in the region. However, their transnational and complex nature requires comprehensive and coordinated approaches at the national and international levels. If drug demand and supply are to be simultaneously addressed, the involvement of all sectors of the State, most notably law enforcement, the judiciary and health sector, as well as the support of technical and financial partners, are critical.