West Africa’s Wildlife Sanctuary Turns into a Hotbed of Crime

The W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is not only a biodiversity hotspot but also a hub for organized transnational crime, including smuggling weapons, drug, and human trafficking, writes Feyi Ogunade for The Conversation Africa.

The region's rugged terrain and porous borders are exploited by armed groups and extremist organizations like Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, facilitating terrorism, poaching, and communal violence. Weapons, often diverted from government stockpiles, flow through the WAP into the Sahel, exacerbating conflicts driven by ethnic tensions and jihadist insurgencies.

Regional and international efforts, such as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the G5 Sahel Force, have struggled to curb the illicit arms trade, with political instability, coups, and the withdrawal of Western support further complicating the situation.