Amid Security Concerns, Poaching Moves Up International Agenda
Tied to rising ivory prices, elephant poaching and ivory trafficking has tripled over the last fifteen years, with the rate of increase jumping dramatically from 2009. Profits from illegal wildlife trafficking are now worth an estimated $8-10 billion USD annually, making this the fifth most profitable form of transnational organized crime after drugs, people, oil, and counterfeiting. The sale of endangered species—from tigers to rhino horns to turtles—is big money, and elepha
The Development Response to Drug Trafficking in Africa
Drug trafficking poses a growing problem in Africa. Increasing flows of illicit drugs threaten good governance, peace and security, economic growth and public health. Failure to address this threat risks undermining the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s investments and thwarting U.S. Government objectives on the continent. In recognition of the issue, USAID’s Africa Bureau initiated research in 2011 on the development causes and consequences of drug traffick
