UN warns of surge in organized crimes across East Africa
NAIROBI, (Xinhua) -- The UN anti-drug agency said on Wednesday that the eastern African region has become an epicenter of transnational organized crimes including human trafficking, piracy, trafficking of hard drugs and poaching.
The Geneva-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report released in Nairobi that poverty, instability and porous borders have fuelled cross-border crimes in the eastern African region.
“The new report provides insight into cross-border crimes that have increased in the eastern African region thanks to socio- economic triggers and presence of armed militias,” said UNODC Representative for Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Loide Lungameni.
Lungameni said the four major cross-border threats in East Africa covered in the UNODC report include migrant smuggling, heroin trafficking, piracy and ivory trafficking.
According to the report, these crimes have increased in the region while poverty and weak governance undermines efforts to root them out.
“Countries in the region must establish deterrent measures to minimize the scope of transnational organized crimes. The rule of law should be strengthened while public awareness will help address this challenge,” Lungameni said.
Smuggling of migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia to Yemen and Saudi Arabia has increased due to porous borders and instability across the Gulf of Aden.
The report noted that criminal networks have been smuggling poor civilians from Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea into the Gulf States where they are promised employment and better livelihoods.
Conflicts and deprivation in the Horn of African states have increased the vulnerability of local population to organized cartels promising them greener pastures in the Middle East.
According to the report, Yemen currently hosts 200,000 asylum seekers from Somalia and Ethiopia.
Human trafficking across the Gulf of Eden has provided steady revenue stream to organized gangs who extort a fee from migrants willing to enter Middle Eastern countries illegally.
The eastern African region is currently also a transit hub for heroin originating from South West Asia. Researchers who compiled the report noted that large-scale shipment of heroin across eastern African entry points has increased.
“A series of recent seizures indicate that the eastern African region is a transit hub for heroin that is traced from Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan. These transit flows have created a vibrant market for heroin across east African coastal cities of Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar,” said Joanna Wright, a UNODC Lead Researcher.
She revealed that heroin consumption across east Africa currently stands at 2.5 tonnes annually. “The east African region has retained the status of a major transit route for heroin as evidenced by addiction menace and a rise in blood-borne diseases,” Wright said.
Additionally, criminal gangs have fuelled illegal trade in wildlife products including rhino horns and elephant tusks across the eastern African region.
The report disclosed that armed militias have killed elephants and rhinos across the eastern African wild as the demand for ivory and horns surge in Asia.
It added that concerted efforts by international naval forces, industry and Somali government, have led to a significant drop in piracy in the Gulf of Eden and Indian Ocean.
The report urged eastern African countries to strengthen border controls, intelligence sharing and rule of law to combat organized crimes. “Countries must strengthen justice system, tackle corruption and promote alternative livelihoods to discourage civilians from engaging in cross border criminal activities,” remarked UNODC program Manager, Gerhard Van Rooyen.
http://www.coastweek.com/xin_060913_04.htm
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2013/September/migrant-smuggling-ivory-trafficking-heroin-trafficking-and-maritime-piracy-identified-as-major-organized-crime-threats-in-eastern-africa.html?ref=fs1
Transnational Organized Crime in Eastern Africa: A Threat Assessment
http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/TOC_East_Africa_2013.pdf
Received on Fri Sep 06 2013 - 13:31:51 EDT