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ABSTRACT
Security in West Africa has been dominated by discourses on political violence, terrorism, illegal migration and smuggling of small arms and light weapons amongst other factors. While this paper concedes the growing focus on environmental security and the effects of climate change in the region, there has been little research on its link to organised criminal activities in the sub-continent. The narrative has been limited to migration, extreme weather conditions and food insecurity. This paper explores the link between climate change and organised crime in West Africa; specifically, in Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger and Senegal. The aim is to broaden the discourse on regional security and climate change, as such this article examines the link between climate change and its impact on regional security with a view to identify the link to organised criminal activities in West Africa. This paper argues that the effects of climate change in West Africa create and exacerbate variables that ensure the continuous existence of organised criminal networks.
Notes on contributor
Ebimboere Seiyefa is a lecturer in Baze University and was acting head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy. She holds a PhD in International Relations and Social Studies from Coventry University. Her recent projects and publications includes' works on elite political culture and its link to political violence, assessing regional security challenges in West Africa and governance for security and counterinsurgency in Nigeria. She is interested in research on governance for security in West Africa. Her book ‘Why Organised Violence Thrives in Nigeria?’ has been accepted for publication by Cambridge Scholars Publishers.
Notes
1 Scott, ‘The Securitisation of Climate Change in World Politics’.
2 Seiyefa, ‘Climate Change in West Africa and its Impact on Nigeria's National Security’.
3 Hill, ‘Managing the Interface: Regional Security and Substate Politics in Africa’.
4 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Drug Trafficking as a Security Threat in West Africa.
5 Arthur, ‘Promoting Security in Africa Through Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)’.
6 Seiyefa, ‘Climate Change in West Africa and its Impact on Nigeria's National Security’.
7 Soderbaum and Bjorn, ‘Regional Security in a Global Perspective in Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture’.
8 Alli, The Role of Nigeria In Regional Security Policy Peace and Security Studies.
9 Seiyefa, ‘Climate Change in West Africa and its Impact on Nigeria's National Security’.
10 Iwilade and Agbo, ‘ECOWAS and the Regulation of Regional Peace and Security in West Africa’.
11 United Nations Climate Change, ‘United Nations Climate Change Conference 2018’.
12 Maas and Tanzler, Regional Security Implications of Climate Change A Synopsis.
13 Lippert, ‘NATO, Climate Change, and International Security A Risk Governance Approach’.
14 Campbell, ‘National Security Implications of Climate Change’.
15 Nigel and Busby, The Security Implications of Climate Change for the UN System.
16 Nett and Ruttinger, Insurgency, Terrorism and Organised Crime in a Warming climate.
17 Fenton, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change.
18 Matthew, A Threat Assessment.
19 Ibid
20 Alusala, Africa in Arms, Taking Stock of Efforts for Improved Arms Control.
21 Seiyefa, ‘Climate Change in West Africa and its Impact on Nigeria's National Security’.
22 Human Rights Watch, We Used to be Brothers.
23 Darby, ‘Climate Change Affecting Stability across West Africa and Sahel: UN Security Council’.
24 Ndaruzaniye and Volkmann, Water Security in Africa.
25 Reitano and Hunter, The Crime-Development Paradox, Organised Crime and the SDGs.
26 United Nations Development Programme, ‘Climate Change’.
27 Lipper, Demeke and Capaldo, Food Security in Africa.
28 Ibid.
29 Coulibaly et al., ‘Climate Change Effects on Cocoa Export’.
30 United Nations Environment Programme, ‘Livelihood Security’.
31 Ibid.
32 Ibid.
33 Brown and Crawford, ‘Climate Change:’.
34 Bushby, Climate Change and National Security.
35 European Commission, ‘Climate Change and International Security’.
36 Brown, Hammil and Mcleman, ‘Climate Change as the ‘New’ Security Threat’.
37 Brown and Crawford, ‘Climate Change’
38 Seiyefa, ‘Climate Change in West Africa and its Impact on Nigeria's National Security’.
39 United Nations Migration Agency, ‘The Climate Change-Human Trafficking Nexus’.
40 Oshita, ‘Arms Trade and Common Security’.
41 Oche, ‘Security, Globalization and Climate Change’.
42 Dokubo, ‘Climate Change and Security’.
43 Akanji, ‘Sub-regional Security Challenge’.
44 Fenton, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change.
45 Albaladejo and LaSusa, ‘The Perfect Storm’.
46 Boubacar, ‘Organised Crime in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’.
47 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ‘Senegal’.
48 Merem et al., ‘Assessing the Menance of Illegal Wildlife Trade in the Sub Saharan African Region’.
49 Ibid.
50 Akanji, ‘Sub-regional Security Challenge: ECOWAS and the War on Terrorism in West Africa’.
51 Maher, ‘Out of West Africa’.
52 Reitano and Hunter, The Crime-Development Paradox, Organised Crime and the SDGs.
53 Kleemans, ‘Theoretical Perspectives on Organised Crime’.
54 Shaw, ‘Drug Trafficking in Guinea-Bissau, 1998–2014’.