Cocaine and conflict in Mali, Niger, and Libya

Since the early 2000s, the central Sahel–Libya corridor has been an important cocaine trafficking route linking West Africa and North Africa with European consumption markets. Although most cocaine shipped from Latin America to West Africa and on to Europe is transported by sea, overland corridors across the Sahel and through Libya account for a notable minority of the trade. These routes are linked to long-standing trading networks, conflict economies and protection systems, which make them resilient to enforcement pressure, shifts in the conflict landscape and political disruption.

Since 2019, cocaine trafficking across West Africa has increased substantially, driven by myriad factors including surging production in Latin America, growing demand in Europe, heightened law enforcement pressure on direct routes from Latin America to Europe, and West Africa’s improved transport connectivity. This super-charging of cocaine trafficking routes – particularly into Europe – has led traffickers to explore every possible method of transporting large quantities of the drug, including navigating complex conflict landscapes of the Sahel and Libya.

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