From Africa Recovery, Vol.12#1 (August 1998), page 7 (box within article on drugs in Africa)

Senegal fights back

By Olu Sarr

Senegal's proximity to South America and Europe and its good air and seaport links make its capital, Dakar, a most attractive transit point for illicit drugs. But the country has one of the most comprehensive anti-drug laws anywhere, though it concedes it is far from overcoming the problem. The Drug Law of 1997 covers the entire breadth of the problem -- from apprehending and punishing offenders to rehabilitating abusers. Senegal also has in place a $4.39 mn Plan of Action for 1998-2000 to fight drugs, while the United Nations Drug Control Programme is training its laboratory technicians.

The threat is both external and local. Cannabis, for example, is the local drug of choice. Farmers prefer to grow the drug because it fetches 20 times more money per kilogram than groundnuts, Senegal's principal crop. And they are paid spot cash, before harvest. Increasingly, cannabis is being exported. Its preponderance in the country, however, does not exclude transshipments from Asia through Senegal or neighbouring countries. But a greater danger is the transshipment through the country of cocaine, heroine and psychotropic drugs. Cocaine comes to Senegal from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Cannabis abusers in Senegal are generally the poor. Children as young as 12 are increasingly smoking cannabis, according to Mr. Mamadou Fofana, the coordinator of Senegal's Inter-ministerial Committee for the War Against Drugs. A few of the abusers come from the upper social bracket, who take cocaine, heroine and crack. Only they can afford the high cost of such narcotics.

Senegal has no drug addiction treatment centres to help victims, some of whom roam the streets. Those from rich families are hidden at home because of the social stigma associated with drug abuse. Only a few non-governmental organizations have, with limited government aid, been helping sensitize the public on the dangers of drugs. One is the Jacques Chirac Drug Sensitization and Information Centre in Thiaroye, on the outskirts of Dakar.

Despite all the drugs passing through Senegal, there is as of yet little hard evidence of money laundering in the country. But Mr. Fofana warns that the problem could become much worse.

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