The latest series in the UN News explores the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, focusing on the illegal arms trade that is fueling conflict and terrorism and, in turn, migrant smuggling. The report tracks cases with a view to better understand the phenomenon and its drivers. External threats like the crisis in Sudan are creating a “snowball effect” on the region, Mar Dieye, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator in the Sahel said. The latest UNODC report identified other drivers alongside solutions, pointing, for example, to corruption as both a motivator to use smugglers and a key enabler for the crime. Another key driver is the increased demand from men, women, and children seeking to escape worsening violence and the consequent rising food insecurity, according to UNODC.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 29, 2023 17:12 UTC