The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged West African countries to adopt clear regional priorities to combat drug trafficking and illicit drug markets, describing them as both a symptom and driver of socio-economic inequalities. Speaking at the closing of a two-day high-level conference on the cocaine market in West Africa in Accra, under the theme: ‘Mapping the Future of Drug Markets in West Africa,’ he emphasised the need to address root causes such as youth unemployment, poverty, weak governance, and limited access to health and social services.
The conference, jointly hosted by Ghana, the Netherlands, and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), brought together experts from Africa, Europe, Latin America, and global agencies to examine the crisis and develop coordinated strategies. Mr Ablakwa highlighted the importance of strengthening intelligence-sharing, building forensic and laboratory capacity, disrupting the financial foundations of trafficking through anti-money laundering measures, and scaling up school-based awareness and rehabilitation services guided by public health and human rights principles.
Ghana aligns with the ECOWAS Plan of Action on Drug Control 2020–2030 and remains committed to working with partners to build a safer, healthier, and more secure West Africa. The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, underlined the evolving nature of drug trafficking, including synthetic drugs and digitally-enabled criminal networks, and emphasised Ghana’s three-pronged approach: operational readiness, human-centred response, and regional cooperation.
The Netherlands’ Minister of Justice and Security, Mr Foort Van Oosten, called for global collaboration, noting that combating drug trafficking requires a shared, coordinated response to effectively protect communities and strengthen governance across borders.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
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