This summer, Reuters reported on the rise in illegal drug trafficking and production in West Africa. In an email interview, Joanne Csete, an expert on health and human rights issues, discussed West Africa’s growing role in the global drug market.
WPR: What role has West Africa played in the global drug market in the past decade?
Joanne Csete: There is some evidence that significant transit routes have been established through West Africa for cocaine from Latin America destined for Europe, though the volume may have diminished in the past few years. It is hard to judge trends with seizure data, which is the most frequent indicator used. There are many other kinds of trafficking in West Africa on which drug traffickers are sometimes able to piggy-back. Some concerns have been raised about local production of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in West Africa, mostly for export. But the amounts are small compared to production in parts of Asia and Europe.