SUN 30.5.2010 13:15-13:30, Mekong Stage, Railway Square, Programme in Finnish and English

The topic of discussion is West Africa as a new cocaine route. Europeans consume the drug, while developing countries suffer. New wars flare up increasingly often due to disputes between drug cartels. Human trafficking, corruption, an increase in crime and general insecurity further impoverish poor countries. A concrete example of this is the development in Senegal over the past few years; cheap cocaine and heroine have spread to the streets, along with the side-effects.

Mrs. Khady Ba, Mayor of Sicap Mbao on the outskirts of Dakar, speaks of the drug situation in her own district. Lamine Touré, coordinator of a local drug rehabilitation project, talks about the state of drug treatment and rehabilitation in Senegal.