Posted to the web 21 September 2007
Charles Takyi-Boadu
Though Ghana has in recent times gained notoriety in the drug trade, it is not considered to be among the major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries in the world.
Latest reports from the Whitehouse, the seat of the United States government provides the list of countries noted to be leading in the transit and production of illicit drugs. Ghana's name did not however pop up in the list of 20 of the worlds major drug trafficking and production countries.
The report which was released on September 17, 2007 identified the likes of Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela as major drug trafficking and producing countries in the world.
This was contained in a memorandum signed by U.S. President, George W. Bush in which he has authorized and directed the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice to submit the report to Congress and publish it in the Federal Register.
A country's presence on the Majors List is not necessarily an adverse reflection of its government's counter narcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.
Consistent with the statutory definition of a major drug transit or drug producing country set forth in section 481(e) (2) and (5) of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended, one of the reasons that major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries are placed on the list is a combination of geographical, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to be transited or produced despite the concerned government's most assiduous enforcement measures.
That notwithstanding, the U.S. government has designated Burma and Venezuela as countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counter narcotics agreements and take the measures set forth in section 489(a)(1) of the FAA.
Attached to this report are justifications for the determinations on Burma and Venezuela, as required by section 706(2) (B).
In accordance with the provisions of section 706(3)(A) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (FRAA), President Bush has also determined that support for programs to aid Venezuela's democratic institutions is vital to the national interests of the United States. Below is the unedited report on individual countries:-
NIGERIA
Nigeria has made progress on many narcotics control and anti-money laundering benchmarks. There is reason to be hopeful. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized millions in the proceeds of crime, anti-money laundering efforts have been successful, and Nigeria is cooperating with the international community to improve its efforts against money laundering even more. Still necessary are procedural reforms to streamline extradition procedures. For many narcotics criminals no sanction is more effective than the fear that they could face a court and jail time in the countries to which they have trafficked narcotics. Nigeria should also re-double its efforts to use its frequent apprehension of street criminals and couriers to identify and prosecute major drug traffickers.
AFGANISTAN
Although President Karzai has strongly attacked narcotic trafficking as the greatest threat to Afghanistan, one third of the Afghan economy remains opium-based, which contributes to widespread public corruption, damage to elicit economic growth, and the strengthening of the insurgency.
The government at all levels must be held accountable to deter and eradicate poppy cultivation, remove and prosecute corrupt officials, and investigate and prosecute or extradite narcotic traffickers and those financing their activities. We are concerned that failure to act decisively now could undermine security, compromise democratic legitimacy, and imperil international support for vital assistance.
In Afghanistan, one model for success can be drawn by comparing the marked differences in cultivation between the northern and southern provinces. Several Northern provinces contributed to a decline in poppy cultivation resulting from a mixture of political will and incentives and disincentives, such as public information, alternative development, and eradication. Furthermore, several Northern provinces with very low amounts of poppy are well on their way to becoming poppy free.Despite the significant progress made in Afghanistan since 2001, the country continues to face tremendous challenges. Our struggle to win hearts and minds, while confronting the insurgency, continues to directly hinge on our ability to help the Afghan government produce visible results. We need to encourage a firm belief among the Afghan people that their national government is capable of delivering an alternative to the preceding decades of conflict. Our reconstruction assistance is an essential instrument to achieve that goal.