Points de vue de la population sur la criminalité organisée en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines community perceptions of organized crime and illicit trafficking in West Africa and the Sahel, specifically focusing on Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Niger. It argues that in regions where the state is absent or corrupt, trafficking is often viewed not as a crime but as a necessary survival strategy and a sign of social success. The document details a 'vicious cycle' where poverty, crime, and state deprivation reinforce each other, leading to the erosion of traditional social norms and the infiltration of criminal networks into state institutions.

• In many communities within West Africa and the Sahel, illicit trafficking and smuggling are not perceived as criminal behavior but as essential survival strategies and 'modes de vie' (lifestyles) used to cope with extreme poverty, food insecurity, and state failure.
• The report identifies a 'vicious cycle' where poverty and a lack of legitimate livelihoods lead to an increase in illicit trafficking, which in turn fuels chronic corruption and social dynamic changes, ultimately resulting in citizens being deprived of their rights.
• Organized crime has deeply infiltrated state governance in the region, creating a system where criminal profits buy political influence and security forces are used to protect illicit trade rather than combat it, leading to a widespread culture of impunity.
• The rise of 'newly rich' young traffickers has disrupted traditional community power structures, leading to the militarization of youth, an 'inversion of moral values' where education is seen as a waste of time compared to illegal wealth, and increased vulnerability for women and children.
• While not necessarily sharing an ideology, there is a material link between trafficking and insurgent or terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI), which tax trafficking convoys to fund their operations.
• The state is often perceived by citizens as an absent or purely punitive entity ('the uniform and the rifle'), leading people to identify more with sub-national or transnational entities (tribes, families, ethnicities) than with national citizenship.
• Community members expressed a desire for the state to reclaim its role through visible development (such as providing water) and the establishment of a professional, honest civil police force to replace the current reliance on the military for law and order.
• The report emphasizes that international interventions often undermine state sovereignty by creating a culture of dependence or by focusing on security goals (like the global war on terror) rather than genuine local development needs.

APA

Reitano, T., & Shaw, M. (2014). Points de vue de la population sur la criminalité organisée en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper254_Frenchv2.pdf

Chicago

Reitano, Tuesday, and Mark Shaw. Points de vue de la population sur la criminalité organisée en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel. Institute for Security Studies, 2014. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper254_Frenchv2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reitano |first1=Tuesday |last2=Shaw |first2=Mark |title=Points de vue de la population sur la criminalité organisée en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=April 2014 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper254_Frenchv2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reitano2014points, author = {Reitano, Tuesday and Shaw, Mark}, title = {{Points de vue de la population sur la criminalité organisée en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper254_Frenchv2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }