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U.S. Department of State
1996 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 1997
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Africa and the Middle East
SENEGAL
I. Summary
Senegal is not a significant drug-producing country. However, the
availability of air and sea connections to Europe and North America, coupled
with the termination of direct flights between Lagos and New York in 1993,
make Senegal a potentially important narcotics transiting point. Most
drug-related arrests take place at Senghor International Airport. The level
of domestic drug abuse among youth (primarily marijuana) has remained fairly
consistent over the past two years, but is not yet considered a major problem.
Senegal is a party to all the major international treaties dealing with drug
production and trafficking. Inadequate local resources, weak border controls
and competing national priorities are the principal obstacles to effective
drug enforcement.
II. Status of Country
Senegal is not a significant drug-producing country. The only domestically
grown narcotic is cannabis, which is sold mostly for domestic consumption.
There is evidence at the same time that European tourists are becoming
increasingly important consumers of cannabis. Senegal has increased annually
in importance as a transit point for drugs bound for North American and
European markets, but there is no evidence that it has a significant effect on
the US. Nigerian nationals lead the list of hard-drug arrests. Nigerian
traffickers often come to Dakar to either recruit or assist the onward travel
of non-Nigerian traffickers who are less likely to attract unwanted attention
from immigration authorities at Western points of entry. The principal air
trafficking routes are the Bombay--Addis Ababa--Dakar route and those flights
which either fly directly or connect into Lagos or Abidjan. The most common
method of drug smuggling is the use of "body carriers", couriers who have
ingested the drugs in capsules, balloons or condoms. Senegalese citizens
increasingly are caught up in the international drug trade, as is evident in
the growing number of Senegalese involved in both fraudulent documentation and
drug-related cases in France, Germany and Italy. US Embassy officials do not
believe that Senegal is a major money laundering center.
III. Country Action Against Drugs in 1996
Policy Initiatives. Although behind, the Government of Senegal (GOS) is
currently pursuing some major policy initiatives on drugs. Drug-related
legislation was introduced in Parliament and awaits ratification. Despite
meager resources, Senegal has met the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN
Convention. The US Embassy believes that the GOS has abided by the
multilateral or regional agreements into which it has entered. Furthermore,
the GOS has enacted legal and law enforcement measures to prevent and punish
narcotics-related public corruption.
Accomplishments. The GOS has not made significant progress in the effort
to end the illicit cultivation, production, or distribution of cannabis. It
is handicapped in its eradication efforts by economic considerations; local
growers prefer to plant cannabis, which they can sell for cash at the Gambian
border, rather than ground nuts or other legitimate crops for which payment
from the government is often delayed. The country does not have the resources
to commit to any sort of regular eradication program. Money laundering does
not play an important role in the Senegalese drug trade; however, money
laundering is not adequately addressed in the new proposed drug legislation.
Asset seizure rarely comes into play in Senegal, since most persons arrested
are transients rather than Senegalese residents.
Law Enforcement Efforts. The majority of drug arrests are made as a
result of search and seizures performed at Senghor International Airport.
However, in November Senegalese authorities seized six kgs of heroin from a
local post office box, which had been rented under an alias. The drugs had
been sent from Bangkok. Local drug officials are unaware of the extent to
which post office boxes are used in the illicit drug trade, yet admit that the
scheme appeared to be well organized and had been ongoing for an indeterminate
amount of time. Although statistics are difficult to obtain, the number of
arrests involving hard drugs has averaged around 23 annually. In contrast,
cannabis-related arrests nationally number in the thousands. Most cannabis
arrests involve users and low-level pushers. There are problems in
encouraging more effective cooperation among the myriad government agencies
involved in combating drugs. For example, under present laws, customs
authorities are required to seize illegal narcotics immediately upon
discovery. The police would like to see legislation introduced which would,
in certain circumstances, allow the drugs to enter the country so that
surveillance could establish the identities of the principal buyers and
distributors. The National Commission on Narcotics, created seven years ago,
has not proven to be an effective body for the coordination of drug
enforcement activities.
Corruption. The low standard of living and comparatively low wage scale of
civil servants in Senegal represent serious vulnerabilities, given the large
sums of money available to major drug networks. Although difficult to
document, it is virtually certain that corruption plays an important role in
the illicit narcotics trade in Senegal.
Agreements and Treaties. Senegal is a party to all three major UN drug
conventions, including the 1988 UN Convention. It has also acceded to the
World Customs Organization's 1977 International Convention on Mutual
Administrative Assistance for the Prevention, Investigation and Repression of
Customs Offences. Annex 10 of this Convention deals with assistance in action
against the smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Senegal
has extradition treaties with the Cape Verde Islands, The Gambia,
Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Tunisia and France. Senegal is a member of
Interpol and places heavy reliance on drug information obtained through
Interpol channels.
Cultivation/Production. Senegal's drug production is limited to cannabis
(yamba), including a somewhat more potent West African variant known as
lopito. Most of this is grown along the border with Gambia and in the marshy
isles of the Saloum Region.
Drug Flow/Transit. Although difficult to chart, drug trafficking through
Dakar has been steadily increasing. The government publishes statistics on
drug arrests and seizures infrequently, and usually only in connection with a
public drug destruction exercise normally held in the spring. The last annual
compilation of drug seizures published in the press was in 1989. In that
year, authorities seized 14.5 kgs of heroin. Evidence indicates that the flow
of drugs through the Port of Dakar may be even harder to control than through
the international airport.
IV. US Policy Initiatives and Programs
Policy Initiatives. The principal US objective is to assist local
authorities in curbing the transit of narcotics through Dakar to North America
and Europe. The main obstacle is the lack of local resources and the level
of poverty, which present fertile ground for the financial inducements of the
drug trade and lead to corruption in border control operations and law
enforcement. In addition, the country's low level of economic development
makes fighting drugs a relatively low priority in the face of more pressing
problems.
The Senegalese Government has been generally supportive of international
treaties and conventions to improve or expand drug interdiction programs at
the international level. The French and the Germans are Senegal's principal
drug-assistance partners. Senegalese complicity in the production of false
documentation used in drug-related offenses continues to be a major concern of
these donors.
Bilateral Cooperation. In March 1996, the USG facilitated the travel and
training of two Senegalese officials to the Africa--Middle East Regional Drug
Enforcement Seminar presented by DEA in Addis Ababa.
The Road Ahead. Although the Senegalese Government is very receptive to
counternarcotics training and materials, it has not made serious gains against
illicit narcotics trafficking. Despite an increase in local drug use,
national priorities are dominated by other more pressing social and economic
problems, which preclude an effective, well-coordinated response to the
illegal drug problem.
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