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Guinea-Bissau: plagued by drug trafficking

By on June 23, 2010
In Bissau, there was no electricity for two weeks. Only houses and hotels equipped with power generators shed some light on the potholed streets of the capital looking like a big village. With its 1.6 million inhabitants, Guinea-Bissau, trapped between Senegal and Guinea-Conakry, is one of the poorest countries in the world.

However, Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Nissan 4×4 cars are many in the city center. Their presence testifies of drug trafficking vitality. It is through Bissau that tons of cocaine transit from Latin America to Europe. “In my circle, some have been able to buy three to four BMW, when they are unemployed. The military gave them money, and in exchange they transport cocaine”, says a young bus driver.
Officially, since 2009, there have been no seizures of drugs, according to the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime. This does not mean that cocaine is no longer circulating in the state controlled by the army, “essential link in cocaine trafficking”, according to Christophe Champin, journalist at RFI and author of the book titled, “Black Africa, white powder”. Many experts believe that the traffic, although it has declined, continues in Guinea-Bissau. In fact, since April, the traffic picked up again with renewed vigour…

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