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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 12 Jun 2014 : 10:32:31 West Africa should decriminalise drugs - Obasanjo commission By Mark Doyle BBC international development correspondent
BBC Online: 12 June 2014
Most West African countries have tough laws criminalising all aspects of drug use
The West Africa Commission on Drugs says drug cartels are undermining the region by using it to transit cocaine.
The commission, headed by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, says the cartels should be tackled but that punishing the personal use of drugs does not work.
It argues that current policies incite corruption and provoke violence.
Drug trafficking and consumption have become major issues in West Africa since the turn of the century.
Efforts around this time to stem the flow of cocaine from the producing countries of Latin America to consumers in the US and Europe led criminals to target West Africa as a new route.
Dramatic events like the crash landing of a Boeing 727 full of cocaine in Mali in 2009 have alerted the authorities to the problem.
The new report, commissioned by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, estimates that the annual trade in cocaine alone through West Africa is now worth $1.25bn (£744m) - more than the total of foreign direct investment in the region.
Continue reading the main story |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 15 Jun 2014 : 16:13:57 Thanks Kobo I tried to express my views in a Cultural aspect, Politics greed and self interest are ever present I know,in this case it is a fact that many Africans enjoy a puff of marajanua a plant that grows naturally in many parts of Africa and in the past was not cultivated but used as a domestic relaxant until the light went on ,and the cacophony of bells clanging in African heads grew ever louder, THIS STUFF IS A GREAT CASH CROP LETS CULTIVATE IT AND SELL IT ,make loads of MONEY...here begins the problem CRIMINALS, GREEDY PEOPLE, JEALOUSY,political involvement,traders, businessmen. So local cultural occasional pleasure NOW BECOMES AN UNSTOPABLE MONSTER. It is now known that starting on soft drugs leads on to hard drugs..better mind bending effects,CRIMINALS CONTROL USERS MAKE USERS THEIR SLAVES.And so the vortex of confusion is established and cannot be stopped. |
| kobo |
Posted - 14 Jun 2014 : 20:09:00 Toubab 1020, You got it wrong.
"Current policies" of "West African governments" = Bad governance and misplaced priorities but nothing to do with BLAMING THE WEST (OR ABOUT EUROPE), as you perceived it to be 
Hope this statement QUOTED BELOW did not mislead you to have wrong impression as expressed  quote: "Efforts around this time to stem the flow of cocaine from the producing countries of Latin America to consumers in the US and Europe led criminals to target West Africa as a new route."
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 14 Jun 2014 : 18:49:52 "It argues that current policies incite corruption and provoke violence. Drug trafficking and consumption have become major issues in West Africa since the turn of the century."
OK fine let Africans keep their "culture" (as I perceive this issue to be regarding "drug" use ) what has been forgotten here or glossed over in favour of MONEY is the fact that MANY MANY AFRICANS have gone to live and work in WESTERN OR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES bring up their families and made their lives IN A PLACE THAT IS NOT THEIR HOMELAND are these TRAVELED AFRICANS GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR "CULTURE" to the countries where they are now making their homes ? I can hear the usual chant "ITS ONLY BECAUSE I AM BLACK" AM I in error in my perception? if so RESPOND and put your case for discussion,or as is often the case write nothing for fear of making an opinion public ! |
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