EFFORTS TO COMBAT WEST AFRICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 001265

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W AND INL/AAE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2017
TAGS: EAID KCRM PREL SOCI SNAR IV
SUBJECT: EFFORTS TO COMBAT WEST AFRICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING

REF: STATE 166219

Classified By: Political/Economic Section Chief Silvia Eiriz for reason
s 1.4 (b/d).


1. (SBU) The Government of Cote d'Ivoire has the will to
combat drug trafficking, but lacks the capacity. Also, as it
concentrates on steering the country out of its five-year
political crisis, its attention is focused on other
priorities. The Inter-ministerial Committee to Combat Drug
Trafficking (Comite Interministeriel de Lutte Anti-Drogue -
CILAD),established in 1994, coordinates the government's
efforts. CILAD is under the Ministry of Interior and does
not have its own budget.


2. (U) Cote d'Ivoire adopted a national plan on combating
drug trafficking in 1999. CILAD Secretary General Gnoleba
Lucien Solou told PolCouns December 20 that the plan will be
revised and updated in 2008 to include an HIV/AIDS component.
A domestic law, adopted in July 1998, prohibits the use and
trafficking of illegal drugs and a law on money laundering,
enacted in December 2005, allows for seizures of property
obtained with the proceeds of drug trafficking. CILAD works
with the Ministry of Education to carry out prevention
programs in primary and secondary schools. The police,
gendarmes, and customs all have units dedicated to fighting
drug trafficking. The Regional Center for Training on
Combating Drug Trafficking (Centre Regional de Formation de
la Lutte Contre la Drogue) was established in 1994 in the
city of Bassam with funding from the French government.
Although no training of foreigners has occurred during the
last 5 years due to Cote d'Ivoire's political crisis, the
Center is used to conduct training courses for Ivorians.


3. (U) A failed coup d'etat in 2002 divided the country in
two and representatives of government institutions have only
recently begun to return to the north of the country, which
is still largely under the control of the New Forces (Forces
Nouvelles- FN). The government says it is therefore unable
to assess the drug trafficking situation in the northern part
of the country.


4. (SBU) The government has had some successes in the fight
against drug trafficking. Both CILAD Secretary General Solou
and the Director of Interpol's Regional Office in Abidjan,
Felix Bamoun, told PolCouns that Ivorian law enforcement has
destroyed drug sales sites ("fumoirs") in Abidjan. French
Embassy Security Attache Colonel Jean Michel Broutin also
praised the operation to PolCouns, but noted that it only
targeted 19 sites, while he estimates there are approximately
100 in the city. In 2007, the police seized 1,458 kilograms
of cannabis, 23 kilograms of heroin, 9 kilos of cocaine, and
33,411 illegal pharmaceutical tablets and the gendarmes
arrested 151 persons for drug trafficking.


5. (C) French Security Attache Broutin told PolCouns December
28 that in late August/early September 2007, a fishing vessel
suspected of carrying drugs was spotted in the Atlantic
through the Maritime Analysis and Operation Center (MAOC),an
inter-governmental working group comprised of 7 EU member
states. The ship was tracked by the South Africans and
intercepted at the port of Abidjan. According to Broutin,
the vessel was in an extremely dilapidated state, but had on
board a state of the art communications system. Its crew was
composed of persons from a variety of countries. Broutin
suggested bringing 2 experts from France to assist Ivorian
authorities. The Government of Cote d'Ivoire initially agreed
but 3 days later rejected the offer, citing judicial issues.
Ivorian authorities allowed the ship to depart the port of
Abidjan.


6. (SBU) Law enforcement is handicapped by a lack of funding
and equipment. CILAD Secretary General Solou told PolCouns
that there is only one scanner at the Abidjan airport and it
cannot detect drugs. He said drug searches at the airport
are based on observation of suspicious activity or tips.
Solou told PolCouns that CILAD tried to establish a
drug-sniffing canine unit, but was unable to secure the
necessary funding. French Security Attache Broutin told
PolCouns that Ivorian law enforcement has 5 dogs (3 at the
port and 2 with the gendarmes) and that the French Embassy
will provide assistance in 2008 to try to set up 5 anti-drug
canine teams. According to CILAD SecGen Solou, the police
have a very small lab that can conduct the most basic tests
to identify drugs. French Security Attache Broutin told
Poloff that Ivorian law enforcement has sufficient manpower,
but lacks equipment and operational coordination.


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7. (SBU) The Government of Cote d'Ivoire seems to receive
bilateral assistance in the fight against drug trafficking
only from the French. Colonel Broutin told Poloff that the
French government provides technical advice on a sporadic
basis. He said that in 2008 the French Embassy plans to
bring 2 French experts to Cote d'Ivoire to conduct a 2-week
drug awareness course and will provide pedagogical equipment
to the Regional Training Center in Bassam. CILAD Secretary
General Solou told Poloff there has been no assistance from
the UN since 2002. The Missions of the EU, Germany, Canada,
and Japan all told Poloffs that they do not provide bilateral
assistance to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire to combat drug
trafficking.


NESBITT