Africa And The War On Drugs

Last week the Royal African Society, Zed Books, and the International African Institute launched a new book entitled, Africa and the War on Drugs.

Since its launch, there have been a number of articles and Op-Eds on the Royal African Society's African Arguments website.  Here is a list of what is out so far:

• Fighting A-Historical Analysis Of The West African Trade – By Gernot Klantschnig
• The West African Cocaine Trade Is Not Just Business As Usual – By James Cockayne
• Africa And The War On Drugs – A Review By Stephen Ellis
• Focus On Khat And The Fight For Legality – By Neil Carrier
• Guinea-Bissau, Coups And Africa’s Cocaine Equation – By Joseph Kirschke

While this may seem to be a topic more suited to Latin America, indeed this is no longer the case.  Starting with Guinea being named a "narco-state", the drugs trade and it's recent explosion in West Africa has become a topic of much debate and contention.  The linkages between AQIM and other terrorist groups with the drug trade is an issue that needs to be discussed and debated.  Hopefully these links will only be the beginning for further debate, research, and discussion of findings.

Also, though not African-specific, for a good introduction to the international drugs trade in general, here is a lecture at LSE by Misha Glenny that can be watched for free online: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=173