West African Sahel sees soaring drug seizures, as UN calls for dismantling trafficking networks

Drug trafficking in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger continues to undermine security and economic development in the West African Sahel region, according to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that calls for the dismantling of trafficking networks.
In light of the soaring seizures of drugs, especially cocaine, in the Sahel, the new UN report published on Friday (19 April) warns that the conflict-ridden region is becoming an influential route for drug trafficking, hindering stability, the rule of law and development while jeopardizing public health. Apart from cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids, cannabis resin is the internationally trafficked drug most frequently seized in the Sahel countries. Seizures of cocaine skyrocketed in the Sahel in 2022 to 1,466 kg, up from an average of 13 kg annually seized between 2015-2020, suggesting the presence of large-scale cocaine trafficking networks through the region. The 2.3 tons of cocaine that had already been seized in Mauritania by June 2023 indicates that this upward trend continues well into 2024.
The West African Sahel’s geographical location with its porous borders makes it a natural stopover point for the increasing amount of cocaine produced in South America, shipped across the Atlantic and then transferred to Europe. “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 report also notes that the drug economy and instability in the Sahel are linked through a vicious cycle, 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.