On 18 October 2022, ENACT held a side event in the framework of the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNTOC. The panel “Armed conflict and the trafficking of guns and explosives” examined the links between organised crime and firearms trafficking in East and Central Africa, focusing on the drivers and impacts of this connection. Research shows that the illegal arms trade is rife and is fuelling conflicts in these volatile regions.
Anabella Corridoni, Criminal Intelligence Analyst at INTERPOL, presented her findings from research in arms trafficking in East Africa. Various local organised crime groups (OCGs) operate in Eastern Africa and are able to exploit many aspects of the economy and civil society. Transnational organised crime in Eastern Africa is driven by vulnerabilities linked to armed conflicts and instability, high presence of natural resources, high youth unemployment, and corruption. In conflict areas, OCGs associate with armed groups seeking new sources of revenues.
Armed groups involved in organised crime in East Africa demonstrate a wide range of motivations, capabilities, and structures. In some cases, illicit market activity is at the heart of armed conflict itself, funding and arming it. Armed groups are involved in a variety of criminal activities including natural resource control and exploitation, wildlife, drugs and arms trafficking, looting, organised violence, human trafficking, and people smuggling. Illicit extraction and taxation of natural resources are some of the principal sources of revenue for armed groups in East Africa. Arms trafficking is largely driven by armed conflicts in the region. It fuels other criminal activities such as robberies and attacks against civil society, which in turn lead to increased requests of weapons for self-protection, fuelling a vicious circle. By colluding with armed groups, OCGS can contribute to prolonging conflicts in East Africa, posing a serious threat to peace and stability in the region.
Dr. Willis Okumu, senior ENACT researcher, focused on the illicit arms flow in the Karamoja region between South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya. This region, historically marginalised and with weak governmental presence, experiences massive illicit arms flows. For instance, M16 and AK-47 rifles can be bought in Northern Kenya for around 2000 USD. The arms are mostly derived from the civil war in South Sudan, from Somalia and Southeast Ethiopia that have a strong gun culture, and from state ammunition depots. This traffic involves a wide range of actors – warriors, elders, women, businessmen, law enforcement, and state officials. Different factors fuel arms trafficking in the Karamoja region, namely cattle rustling, weak governance administration, corruption, and local socio-economic limitations. Overall, governments do not seem to be working on the root causes of conflicts and the prevailing gun culture.
Finally, Yann Le Cloarec, Criminal intelligence analyst from INTERPOL, presented his ongoing analysis on the illegal flows of explosives in Central Africa, an ongoing threat in the region which is not well-known. The aim is to identify the direction of the flows, the actors involved and links between them, the modus operandi of traffickers, and best practices to combat and prevent these flows. Initial findings point to an increased use of explosives in Cameroon, DRC and CAR by non-state armed groups and OCGs. Three quarters of all victims in 2022 so far have been civilians. Three kinds of explosives are used – commercial explosives diverted from legal extractive industries, unexploded military ammunitions, homemade explosives built from precursors.
By building a comprehensive knowledge base on the role of organised crime in Africa through evidence-based research and factual analysis, ENACT helps inform policy-makers for the development of more effective responses to transnational organised crime and the threats they pose.
