East Africa—a key security partner in the war on terror and a principal engine
of economic development on the African continent—is being critically un


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New CEP Report Reveals That Illicit Trade In East Africa Is Funding
Extremists, Terrorists, And Warlords  

 

(New York, N.Y. / Nairobi, Kenya) – East Africa—a key security partner in the
war on terror and a principal engine of economic development on the African
continent—is being critically undermined by illicit trade, according to the new
reportAn Unholy Alliance: Links Between Extremism and Illicit Trade in East
Africa from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP).

 

Terror groups such as al-Shabaab and ISIS-linked affiliates in Somalia and
Mozambique, as well as Central African militias, urban gangs, and international
crime groups are increasingly targeting East Africa as a destination market for
illicit trade, as well as a transport hub for the mass import and export of
illegal goods.

 

Terrorists groups continue to cash in on the illegal ivory trade to pay their
soldiers and fund their campaigns of terror, while Somali warlords profit from
the thousands of bags of cheap, illicit sugar that are smuggled into Kenya
every day. Meanwhile, the multi-million-dollar illegal tobacco industry funds
corruption, insurgency, and the illegal arms trade across the region.

 

Sir Ivor Roberts, CEP senior advisor and author of the report, outlined the
difficulties faced by the region: “As illicit trade networks continue to expand
and mature in their sophistication, the cost to East African society has been
enormous. At every link in the illicit chain, economic, social, and political
harm is done to East African society, while terror and crime groups grow
stronger.”

 

Many terrorist and extremist groups operating in and around East Africa,
including al-Shabaab, ISIS, and the Lord’s Resistance Army, are supported and
sustained by the illicit trade, as they continue to benefit from ill-gotten
gains. Asian crime syndicates, Latin American narco-traffickers, and other
international crime groups have also earmarked the region as a key location for
smuggling narcotics, wildlife, precious stones, and counterfeit goods.

 

As East Africa struggles to recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Sir Ivor believes the region must prioritise measures which target illicit
trafficking.

 

Sir Ivor said: “The most effective way from the East African region, and the
wider international community, to fight extremism, crime, and corruption is to
turn off the taps of illicit trade. This can ensure critical revenues are not
lost to the shadow economy but are instead invested in key services. Combating
illicit trade should be the number one priority for East African governments
and their international allies. This issue goes beyond the borders of East
Africa, and it is imperative that the international community pay heed.”

 

To read the report, please click here:
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