2007年VOA标准英语-West Africa's Drug Circulation Increases, Worry

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
18 June 2007

West Africa is increasingly becoming a transit¹ point -- as well as a stopping point -- for illicit² drugs. So far, local governments have proven incapable³ to combat the trend. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

In divided Ivory Coast, music blares from a popular and market-filled area of Abidjan, known as Inchallah, which means "God Willing."

What is known locally as a "fumoir" was recently demolished⁴, near these stalls, by angry residents. A "fumoir" is a place where drugs like cocaine⁵, amphetamines, morphine and heroin⁶ are sold and consumed.

One of the residents who took part in the vigilante action says he had seen police exchanging money and drugs with local dealers⁷.

United Nations Special Representative to the region Ahmedou Ould Abdallah says the dealers could have had ties with cartels from outside West Africa.

"For the last few months, we are aware of a massive traffic in hard core drugs, probably from Latin America," he said.

Abdallah believes drug trafficking is the biggest threat of instability in a region still recovering from civil wars and poorly-organized elections.

"It comes to some states who are so fragile that, despite their good faith and their willingness to do something, they just cannot. They do not have the capacity," he said. "Some of their institutions are, no doubt, corrupt⁸, but we cannot blame them for the capacity."

One well known transit point is Guinea-Bissau, where drugs flown in and out by small planes are warehoused on its many, scattered⁹ islands and coastal¹⁰ inlets.

Boats are also used. About two years ago, after a ship sunk, local fishermen said they had scooped¹¹ up packages of white powder that were floating in the ocean. They say they used the packages as food seasoning¹² or fertilizer.

Recently, seized cocaine - with a street value of more than $30 million or about 10 percent of Guinea Bissau's gross domestic product - disappeared from government offices.

A government official says he believes police destroyed the seized drugs, but says he did not see it, for himself. Another U.N. official says police may well have destroyed white cement, instead of the drugs.

Abdallah says it is difficult to pin-point how much drug money is being made in West Africa, by whom and for what purposes.

"The money related to drug trafficking is so important that it may serve as a cover for any legitimate¹³ or illegitimate activities," he said. "Our concern is the region is so vast."

He points to Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger as other trafficking hubs. He says most of the drugs transit to Europe, where a strong euro and more cocaine use is fueling the trade.

But getting drugs across borders can be a complicated process - even in Africa.

Last month in Mauritania, authorities seized more than 600 kilograms of cocaine they say had been flown from Venezuela through Brazil to the economic capital, Nouadhibou.

Investigators¹⁴ say helicopter pilots were waiting to take the drugs from a villa¹⁵ to Morocco, before moving it on to Spain. The son of a former head of state, a political party leader and a top businessman are suspected in this case.

A spokesman for the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration, Rusty¹⁶ Payne, says there is evidence criminal gangs in Latin America are working closely with criminals in many West African countries.

"These criminal organizations are establishing ties with African criminal organizations in places like Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo," he said. "And, what they are doing is they are taking advantage of less-developed governments in those countries where they have a chance to more effectively struggle drugs to Europe."

Payne says European criminal networks are also involved in West Africa.

Cocaine is presented as evidence in a case at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria (File)

"It is also becoming a key command and control platform for Spanish and Italian drug trafficking organizations. They use the islands of Cape¹⁷ Verde, to Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal and Togo and the western part of the continent," he said. "These organizations use the coast to ship cocaine with sail boats and fishing vessels¹⁸ and things like that to Europe."

An official from the Ivory Coast-based Center for Regional Training In the Fight Against Drugs, Jean-Claude Koffe, says so-called human "mules¹⁹," who carry drugs - sometimes inside their own bodies - are also used in West Africa. He says traffickers are ingenuous²⁰ and change methods quickly. He says drug mules can be women and young children.

A Congolese woman with 108 cocaine capsules inside her body recently died in Benin, after one of the capsules exploded.

European and Lebanese criminals are known to transport drugs in their private cars.

Koffe says all kinds of drugs transit through the region. He says these are also coming from and going to Asia.

American drug agent Payne warns the drug problem could be debilitating²¹ to West Africa, if local governments do not get proper tools and assistance to fight back.

"To these countries that are developing, nothing could be more damaging. Drug trafficking is a huge international problem. It involves global solutions," he said. "And, at the same time, countries that are having to deal with this, that are trying to develop and establish a rule of law, they do not need this. This does nothing but hinder them. And, it presents probably the greatest threat."

Government officials from throughout the region have been pleading for help at recent conferences, saying their countries are becoming victimized by the drug trade, through no initial fault of their own.

They fear competing drug gangs will slowly extend their influence throughout the government, the army and police, threatening to turn West African countries into violent "narco-states."

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

3 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

4 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

5 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

6 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

7 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

8 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

9 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

10 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

11 scooped   

v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 seasoning   

n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物

参考例句：

• Salt is the most common seasoning.盐是最常用的调味品。
• This sauce uses mushroom as its seasoning.这酱油用蘑菇作调料。

13 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

14 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

16 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

17 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

18 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 mules   

骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者

参考例句：

• The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。
• She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。

20 ingenuous   

adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的

参考例句：

• Only the most ingenuous person would believe such a weak excuse!只有最天真的人才会相信这么一个站不住脚的借口！
• With ingenuous sincerity,he captivated his audience.他以自己的率真迷住了观众。

21 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。