NEW ! Impact of Transnational Organized Crime on Stability and Development in the Sahel - Sahel series
The Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment – Sahel (TOCTA Sahel) consists of a series of research reports that provide in-depth analysis of the main criminal markets in the Sahel, including trafficking in medical products, fuel trafficking, firearms trafficking, smuggling of migrants, gold trafficking, Drug trafficking and Impact of transnational organized crime on stability and development in the Sahel.
The reports paint a comprehensive picture of the enablers of organized crime and its impact on the region. They do this by highlighting the diversity and multiplicity of criminal flows and actors in the region and by emphasizing the role of corruption in the legal supply chain as a catalyst and/or facilitator of trafficking. They revisit certain assertions, most notably on the nexus between terrorism and organized crime and the type of actors involved in the exploitation and abuse of migrants in transit in the Sahel, and assess how organized crime undermines stability in the region.
The TOCTA Sahel is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation in order to disrupt criminal networks but also, with its special focus on the role of armed groups and stability, at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing challenges that may arise in the near future.
The research for the TOCTA Sahel combines quantitative analysis based on official data, when available, and quantitative analysis mainly based on interviews with law enforcement and judicial officials, as well as former traffickers. The TOCTA Sahel reports also include maps and charts that illustrate illicit flows and related markets.
United Nations Member States in the Sahel were involved throughout the research, which was launched at the 5th Sahel Programme Steering Committee with Member States in July 2021. Key findings on trafficking in medical products, fuel trafficking, firearms trafficking and the smuggling of migrants were discussed with Member States during an online validation workshop in November 2022 and in person at the 6th Sahel Programme Steering Committee in December 2022.
