United Nations Radio

UNODC report

To criminal organizations West Africa is considered an ideal transit route to move illegal drugs, counterfeit medications, firearms, toxic wastes and even human beings, from Latin America to Europe.

Unsecured borders and fragile governments create an open playing field for illegal activity and crime networks.

Antonio Maria Costa of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime says that although recent reports show that illegal trafficking in West Africa has declined, the situation remains volatile.

"Around 20 tons of cocaine are still transiting through the region every year, valued at about $1 billion at destination, mostly the European market. There is no guarantee therefore that the downward trend will continue. Recent upheavals in Guinea Bissau and in Guinea Conakry show that there are powerful forces with a stake in illicit activity. Until the underlying conditions of vulnerability in the region, poverty, underdevelopment, inadequate governments, until these conditions are addressed the region will remain attractive to those who operate outside law and abuse the authority for personal gain."

The UNODC in cooperation with other UN agencies has launched an action plan to disrupt organized crime in Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire, called The West African Coast Initiative. Andrew Hughes an advisor from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is one of the leaders within the coalition.

"It is now widely recognized that organized crime is a major spoiler to peacekeeping and peace building effort, very evident in a number of countries in the West Africa region. The former director of EUROPOL stated on one occasion that organized crime is comprised of networks and the best way to combat these networks is with networks and that is essentially what we are proposing in this plan for the transnational crime units.

The goal of the transnational crime units is to provide technical assistance, equipment, training and mentoring to local police forces in countries where UN peacekeepers are already deployed.

But strengthening local law enforcement presents a difficult challenge for the agencies. Acosta states that criminal groups are often better equipped than local police and even the army.

"Now if you came with us to visit some of these countries, for example visiting the police station in Guinea Bissau you would have been surprised to see a very large compound, campus if you wish, a big courtyard, fenced in with a large number of buildings around the campus and each building has a door, and each door has a label, drug squad and so on and so forth. You enter into these facilities. There is nothing, not even electricity, broken desks and broken chairs, and an old typewriter in one of these offices, vintage 1940's."

Despite theses hurdles, Antonio Maria Costa says UNODC is determined that West Africa no longer be a dumping ground for unwanted wastes.

For United Nations Radio this is Lindsay Lazarski.

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