On 10-11 August 2023, during the second High-Level Meeting of the GIFP action the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD), prominent figures and experts discussed critical issues on drug trafficking and consumption throughout the region. The event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, who reiterated his country’s zero tolerance policy for drug trafficking and presented Mauritius’ new prevention program “Rebound” for sensitising young people of 14-25 to the dangers of drugs. A speech by the ESACD’s Chair, Former President of South Africa H.E Kgalema Motlanthe followed, as well as remarks by the EU Chargé d’affaires Manuela Ricco, and ESACD Commissioner and Director of CAPRISA, Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Kareem. Distinguished attendees included ESCAD commissioners, former presidents of Mauritius and Mozambique, along with ministers and heads of regional and international organisations.
The discussions were structured across three panels. The first panel delved into the challenges of drug reform and maritime drug trafficking in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions, including an overview of the drug situation in Mauritius and insights from Kenya’s drug market survey. The second panel examined narcotics trafficking trends, hotspots, transportation modes, and volumes in the Eastern and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region, shedding light on the dynamics of drug-related maritime trafficking routes and challenges faced in addressing this issue. This segment also featured insights from research and fieldwork in the Western Indian Ocean.
The third panel focused on law enforcement strategies to disrupt illicit drug markets in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions. The discussion revolved around four key disruption approaches: tackling drug supply, spatial disruption of drug markets, targeting criminal networks and key individuals involved, and disrupting the flow of illicit funds and money laundering. The panel also explored the use of long-term intelligence measures, such as intercepting incriminating communications of high-value criminal entities. This not only aids in interdiction and prevention but also enables the formulation of comprehensive prosecution strategies against organised criminal enterprises, addressing both financial aspects and low-end consumption markets. Participants of the ESACD meeting collectively addressed critical aspects of the drug trade in the region, fostering valuable insights and strategies to combat its adverse impacts.
From left to right: H.E Cassam Uteem, former President of Mauritius, H.E Kgalema Motlanthe, ESACD’s current Chair and former President of South Africa, Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique, and Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Kareem, ESACD Commissioner and Director of CAPRISA.
