By Scott A Morgan.
The last few months have been an interesting time in the area known as the Casamance region. Earlier this year the army of Guinea-Bissau launched an offensive that drove one faction of the MFDC (Movement of the Democratic Forces of the Casamance)away from its main base of operations. The offensive created fears of a potential clash with either Senegal or the Gambia. At least seven members of the group are now in a Gambian jail but that appears to be just the tip of the iceberg.
In a recent report, Reporters Without Borders sent a fact finding mission to Guinea-Bissau. What it found was disheartening to those not only seeking justice for West Africa but those seeking to prevent the spread of narcotics worldwide. The country is being used as a point to ship drugs from Colombia to Europe. And what is worse is that it appears that elements of the government in the impoverished country may be assisting them.
It is a taboo for the media in the current climate to discuss the trade of cocaine under any circumstance. One report in a Ghanaian newspaper listed cocaine as the fourth largest item of trade for the country. This is an interesting fact in a country with no coca plants. The government reportedly fears cracking down as it fears a potential backlash from the army. Any potential conflict with the armed forces could ignite a civil war that could further destabilize the region.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is seriously concerned about the situation within Guinea-Bissau. Some members of law enforcement and the military are assisting the Colombian cartel in shipping the drugs. The police do not have the adequate equipment to do proper interdiction operations. In some cases senior government officials have released suspects and given evidence back to the dealers so it can be shipped to its destination via Speedboat.
Another problem that is being underreported as well is the trafficking of children in Guinea-Bissau. Most of the children are taken into the cotton fields of Senegal to be used as labourers. Others end up on the streets of Dakar as beggars so they can get an "education." In 2004 UNICEF estimated that there were 100,000 Children begging on the streets of Senegal ( which is an estimated 1% of the population of Senegal). Most of the beggars are from Guinea-Bissau. UNICEF is concerned over a lack of access to both healthcare and education.
These factors indicate a country in dire straits. Together they are indictative of a country on the precipice of total collapse. Outside forces are destroying the internal climate in the Country. The media, while still independent, are on a razor’s edge for fear of intimidation by the Medillen Cartel and their allies. The government and the army treat each other with kid gloves and its children are trafficked to a neighbor for cheap labor. This does not bode well for regional stability.
*The author has started an Electronic Magazine called Confused Eagle. It can be found at morganrights.tripod.com and he still can be contacted at scott_morgan_23220@yahoo.com
Photo: A scene in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau.
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