Challenges in the fight against drug trafficking in Eastern and Southern Africa
The East and Southern Africa Drug Control Commission, launched in February 2023, meets for the first time in Mauritius on August 10-11. This organization brings together former African presidents from the region and aims to combat the increasing level of heroin consumption in this part of the continent.
According to research carried out by the NGO Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, heroin trafficking from Afghanistan is increasing in the Eastern and Southern African region. Although the southwest Indian Ocean is not a direct transit route, this trafficking has significant consequences for drug use in Seychelles and Mauritius, two small island states that have the highest rates of use by inhabitant of the world.
In addition to these consequences on public health, heroin trafficking also has an impact on regional stability. Indeed, Madagascar has become a major drug transit platform in this part of the world. Faced with this worrying situation, the East and Southern Africa Drug Control Commission, made up of influential personalities such as former presidents and experts, has the mission of defining a strategy to counter this scourge.
The meeting in Mauritius will be an opportunity to explore local and regional capacities to combat drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean. The members of the commission will have to put in place prevention, repression and awareness measures to effectively counter this phenomenon. Collaboration between countries in the region will be crucial to implement coordinated actions and strengthen border control mechanisms.
It is also important to emphasize that the fight against drug trafficking cannot be limited to repressive measures. It is necessary to put in place prevention and care actions for people in a situation of dependency. Particular emphasis should also be placed on international cooperation, particularly with producing countries and transit countries, to dismantle trafficking networks and reduce the supply of drugs on the market.
In conclusion, the fight against drug trafficking in Eastern and Southern Africa represents a major challenge for the region. The East and Southern Africa Drug Control Commission will play a key role in defining effective strategies and coordinating actions among member countries. It is essential that all the actors concerned join forces to combat this scourge which threatens the security and well-being of the populations of the region.