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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Drug Trafficking And Threats To National And Regional Security In West Africa, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, John Pokoo Jan 2013

Drug Trafficking And Threats To National And Regional Security In West Africa, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, John Pokoo

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

In less than one and a half decades West Africa has become a major transit and repackaging hub for cocaine and heroin flowing from the Latin American and Asian producing areas to European markets. Drug trafficking is not new to the region; the phenomenon rapidly expanded in the mid-2000s as a result of a strategic shift of Latin American drug syndicates towards the rapidly growing European market, leading UNODC to state in 2008 that "…the crisis of drug trafficking … is gaining attention. Alarm bells are ringing …West Africa has become a hub for cocaine trafficking. This is more than …


Potential New Hotspots For Extremism And Opportunities To Mitigate The Danger: The Case Of The Sahel, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning Sep 2010

Potential New Hotspots For Extremism And Opportunities To Mitigate The Danger: The Case Of The Sahel, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

West Africa and increasingly some of its Sahelian states namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger are prey to a number of factors that make them suceptible to illicit trafficking, organized crime and terrorism. They are ranked among the most vulnerable 10 out of the 177 countries listed in this context. The structural weakness of the Sahelian states economies, characterized by small domestic markets and an over-reliance on only one or two export commodities, renders them highly susceptible to external shocks and low intensity security threats. The huge, open expanses of land with few settlements and a limited number of …


Ecowas And Conflict Prevention In West Africa: Confronting The Triple Threats, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, A. Sarjoh Bah Sep 2009

Ecowas And Conflict Prevention In West Africa: Confronting The Triple Threats, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, A. Sarjoh Bah

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

In this paper, Dr. A. Sarjoh Bah and Dr. Kwesi Aning, addresses three critical transnational challenges, referred to as the “triple threats” confronting West Africa, namely: governance, drug trafficking and small arms and light weapons. They contend that the combined effects of these threats could undermine the security and stability of the entire sub-region. Consequently the analysis focuses on policy responses by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in confronting the triple threats and offers specific recommendations on how these responses can be enhanced. Among other things, the authors call on ECOWAS to articulate its concerns relating to …


Establishing The Future State Of The Peacebuilding Commission: Perspectives On Africa, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Ernest Lartey Dec 2008

Establishing The Future State Of The Peacebuilding Commission: Perspectives On Africa, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Ernest Lartey

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

The paper discusses the strategic role of the PBC as a vital component in the attainment of the new peacebuilding vision and architecture and examines its potential implications for sustainable peace in Africa. Furthermore, it examines the various dimensions of peace-building strategies by evaluating what has been achieved so far. In reviewing the PBC’s peace-building approaches, analysis is undertaken to identify specific gaps in the current methods of operation. Consequently, an analysis of the expected strategic changes that should reflect the future outlook of the PBC’s engagement in Africa is developed that categorizes the potential strategic changes that should occur …


The Anatomy Of Ghana's Secret Arms Industry, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning Apr 2005

The Anatomy Of Ghana's Secret Arms Industry, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

Although craft small arms production is present throughout West Africa, Ghana’s long-standing and socially embedded gun-making tradition make it a country of particular concern. Guns ‘made in Ghana’ are now known regionally for their competitive prices, their effectiveness, and their accessibility—thus raising concerns that they might one day represent a significant source of weaponry for armed groups. Indeed, some local blacksmiths now possess the requisite know-how to copy imported AK-47 assault rifles This chapter documents the extent, nature, and effects of Ghanaian craft small arms production, and discusses existing and potential responses. It is divided into three main sections. The …