French Senate Report Accuses Algeria of Turning Blind Eye to Trafficking in Sahel
The French Senate issued recently a report accusing Algeria of complicity over a host of sorts of arms and goods trafficking in the Sahel and Saharan region.
The report dubbed, Rethinking Public Development Aid in The Sahel, says Algeria turns a blind eye to arms trafficking originating from Libya and transiting through its territories to reach other countries in the Sahel.
The raging civil war in Libya and the porous borders offer propitious conditions for traffickers to transit not only light arms but also heavy weapons through Algeria to other African countries and even beyond to Europe, notes the report.
The French Senate document accuses Algeria of blackmailing the Tuaregs through subsidized goods which are daily trafficked through its southern and eastern borders.
In this regard, the document indicates that 4,640 Tons of Algerian subsidized products are illegally transported by 180 trucks on a weekly basis to northern Malian regions with a Touareg majority.
The report points out to the impediments to development in the Sahel and puts forward recommendations on the need for a comprehensive approach combining military, humanitarian and development aid in the face of the crisis plaguing the region.
