Terrorism represents a source of ongoing concern in West Africa, with groups active in the Sahel region progressively moving their activities to coastal countries.
West Africa has been particularly affected by the nexus between terrorism and organized crime. This is a result of a combination of factors, namely the exploitation of rich natural resources and existing trafficking routes, as well as the spillover of activities from the Sahel region. The nexus between terrorism and organized crime offers benefits to all parties. For example, terrorist groups’ involvement in organized crime provides terrorists with a source of revenue and expertise in illicit transfer and laundering of proceeds from illicit transactions. At the same time, the supply of weapons, control of territories and tactical knowledge of terrorist groups can also be beneficial to organized crime groups.
The links between terrorism and organized crime are multifaceted and take on different forms. Consequently, it is challenging for one single institution to identify, address and counter this issue in a comprehensive manner. As such, it is necessary to develop mechanisms of cooperation and coordination between law enforcement, intelligence services and criminal justice actors to effectively implement measures in countering this nexus.
Benin, together with its neighbouring countries, is not immune to this phenomenon: attacks have increased rapidly in the past five years, with serious consequences for those living in the affected areas, including thousands of people forced to leave their homes.
Within the framework of the joint UNODC-UNICRI initiative “Strengthening Capacities to Address the Nexus Between Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime in Africa”, a national training workshop was held in Cotonou on 22-24 April 2024 to enhance inter-agency cooperation and coordination mechanisms to prevent and counter links between terrorism and organized crime.
Throughout the three-day event, participants shared their experiences with existing multi-agency coordination platforms and mechanisms. Challenges and good practices were also discussed to improve inter-agency cooperation at various levels, including policies, operations, and tactics. In addition, participants benefitted from the expertise of regional experts from Algeria, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. The meeting featured high-level and senior practitioners representing different key institutions, including the Ministry of Justice and Legislation, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Interior and Public Security, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, alongside several diplomatic missions.
Participants formulated a list of comprehensive recommendations to guide future actions in countering the nexus, including enhancing inter-agency cooperation mechanisms and operationalizing counter terrorism and organized crime operations, as well as tailoring national legislation and policies.
The activity was funded by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund (UNPDTF).
