Why is drug use and trafficking spreading so fast in Africa?
This seminar considers the rapid spread of drug use and trafficking, and how COVID-19 might affect policy options.
New research by the ENACT organised crime programme shows that Africa has shifted from a transit to consumer market for illicit drugs. This means demand for drugs will surge by 150% by 2050, adding 14 million new drug users on the continent, and presenting serious governance, economic and security challenges.
This seminar looks at factors enabling the spread of drugs in Africa, such as rapid and dysfunctional urbanisation, corruption and weak service delivery by local governments. Speakers will also consider the rising demand for heroin, psychoactive substances, and how security at airports, ports and other transport hubs is a key determinant for drug trafficking in Africa since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Chair: Andrews Atta-Asamoah, Head, Africa Peace and Security Governance Programme, ISS
Speakers:
- Representative of the European Union
- Simone Haysom, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime
- Richard Chelin, Researcher, ISS
- Anabella Corridoni, Regional Crime Analyst for West Africa, INTERPOL
Photo © Eyewitness News
