Ralston, Laura2014-12-032014-12-032014-10https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20638Trafficking is an emerging concern in West Africa. In 2011, 17 percent of all cocaine consumed in Europe -- 21 tons -- passed through the region, for a retail value of US$1.7 billion. This paper discusses the evolution of trafficking in the region and provides estimates of the size and value of trafficking flows to demonstrate the significance of this illegal activity. Although this topic is gaining increasing attention, less attention has been has been paid to how trafficking is perpetuating fragility. This paper contributes to this area of research by identifying five channels through which trafficking is intensifying fragility in the region. The relative importance of each channel is discussed, with specific countries as case-study examples. Possible programmatic responses are then suggested with examples of policy approaches successfully adopted elsewhere in the world.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOABUSEACCIDENTSACCOUNTABILITYALLIANCESANTI-CORRUPTIONARMED FORCEASSAULTASSAULTSASSETSBASIC SERVICEBUSINESSMENCANNABISCITIZENCIVIL SOCIETYCIVIL WARCIVIL WARSCLEAN WATERCOCAINECOLLAPSECOLLUSIONCOMBATANTSCOMPLAINTSCONFLICTCONFLICT PREVENTIONCONFLICTSCONTAINMENTCONVICTIONCORRUPTCORRUPT OFFICIALSCORRUPTIONCORRUPTION FIGHTCOUNTERINSURGENCYCOUNTRY REPORTSCRIMECRIME PREVENTIONCRIME RATESCRIMESCRIMES AGAINST HUMANITYCRIMINALCRIMINAL ACTIVITIESCRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONCRIMINAL JUSTICECRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMCRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMSCRIMINALITYCRIMINALSDEMOBILIZATIONDEMOCRACYDEPENDENCEDEVELOPMENT PROJECTDEVELOPMENT PROJECTSDISARMAMENTDRUGDRUG SEIZURESDRUG TRADEDRUG TRAFFICKERDRUG TRAFFICKERSDRUG TRAFFICKINGDRUGSECONOMIC ACTIVITYECONOMIC GROWTHELECTIONSEX-COMBATANTSEXTORTIONFIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTIONFIGHTINGFIREARMSFOREIGNERSGANGGANGSGENOCIDEGLOBAL INITIATIVEGOVERNMENT CORRUPTIONGROWTH RATEGUNSHEROINHUMAN RIGHTSHUMAN SECURITYHUMAN TRAFFICKINGINCOMEINSECURITYINSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSESINTEGRITYINTERNATIONAL BANKINTERNATIONAL COMMUNITYINTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONINTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTINTERNATIONAL TRADEINVESTIGATIONSINVESTIGATORSJUDICIAL PROCESSESJUDICIAL SYSTEMSKIDNAPPINGLAW ENFORCEMENTLAWSLOCAL COMMUNITIESLOCAL GOVERNANCEMARKET ECONOMYMEDIAMEDIATIONMENTORINGMILITARY BUDGETSMILITARY EXPENDITUREMILITARY LEADERSMINISTERMONEY LAUNDERINGMULTINATIONALNARCOTICSNARCOTICS CONTROLNATIONAL LEVELNATIONSNATURAL RESOURCESORGANISED CRIMEORGANIZED CRIMEORGANIZED CRIMESPATRONAGEPEACEPEACE RESEARCHPEACEBUILDINGPOLICEPOLICE OFFICERSPOLITICAL COMPETITIONPOLITICAL ECONOMYPOLITICAL INSTABILITYPOLITICAL INSTITUTIONSPOLITICAL VIOLENCEPOLITICIANSPRISONPROJECT DESIGNSPROPERTY RIGHTSPROSECUTIONPROSECUTORPUBLIC OFFICIALSREBELREBELSRECONCILIATIONRECONSTRUCTIONREGIONAL INTEGRATIONREMEDYRIGHTROADROADSRULE OF LAWSECURITY FORCESSERVICE DELIVERYSEXUAL EXPLOITATIONSHOOTINGSMUGGLERSSOCIAL NETWORKSSOCIAL SCIENCESOCIAL SERVICESOCIAL SERVICESTERRORISMTHEFTTOLERANCETRAFFICKINGTRANSITION FROM WAR TO PEACETRANSPARENCYTRIALUNDPVICTIMSVIOLENCEVIOLENCE PREVENTIONVIOLENT CRIMEWEAPONSWORLD DEVELOPMENTYOUTHYOUTH EMPOWERMENTYOUTH INVOLVEMENT10.1596/1813-9450-7079