Africa and the Global Illicit Economy
39 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -Africa and the Global Illicit Economy brings you stories and investigations based on the extensive research networks at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
We'll be looking at corruption, illicit financial flows, gangs, the role of foreign corporations, the political economy of crime, and the enabling environment that has made Africa vulnerable to the growth of organized crime.
Drawing on the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime's civil society observatories for North, South, East and West Africa to get a feel for how organized crime is impacting some of the world and the continent’s emergency trends and contemporary events.
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Episodes
Organized Crime Risk in South Africa
November 16, 2022 06:00 - 25 minutes - 35.6 MBOrganized crime in South Africa threatens the economy, its people and the democratic institutions themselves. Every day we see a number of different and seemingly unconnected criminal incidents taking place - from assassinations to gang rapes in an illegal mining community; and from the violence of the taxi industry to organized cooper theft. But what lies behind all of these actions is a dark web, a criminal ecosystem driven by an increasingly violent South African underworld. In this ...
The Gangs of Grassy Park
October 17, 2022 06:00 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBThe Cape Flats in South Africa is made up of 20 suburbs make up the Cape Flats; populated predominantly by black and coloured communities, a term used to describe those of mixed-heritage. Each suburb is marked by poverty, crime, drug abuse, gangsterism and violence. In this, Lindy Mtongana's final episode, she looks at the Grassy Park where a slew of recent killings has exposed the devastating consequences of territorial battles among the Cape’s most dangerous gangs. Presenter: Lindy Mton...
Kenya Elections and Gangs
August 15, 2022 11:00 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBMillions of Kenyans have cast their votes in the countries 12th General Election, labelled the most competitive election in the history of Kenya. But as Kenya’s history has shown - the more fierce the political contest, the higher the risk of election-related violence, often carried out by gangs and militias at the behest of politicians, with the aim of influencing the outcome of an election. In this episode Lindy will explore the role organised criminal gangs play in determining political ou...
Political Assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
July 25, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBIn this episode Lindy delves into the murky world of political assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Where, according to the GI-TOC's assassination monitor data, for three of the last six years, political assassinations were higher than all other South African provinces combined. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speaker(s): Greg Arde, Journalist and Author of War Party: How the ANC’s political killings are breaking South Africa Chwayita Thobela, Analyst, Global Initiative against Tran...
Cattle Rustling in Mali
July 05, 2022 06:00 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBIn this episode Lindy explores the world of cattle rustling in Mali, an act that has existed for centuries. But cattle rustling has evolved into a highly organized form of criminality involving Islamists and bandits, forcing farmers to arm themselves to protect themselves and their herds. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speaker: Deo Gumba, Civil Society Coordinator for the West Africa Observatory, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Additional Reading: West Africa and the ...
Drugs and Development Hub Regional Conversation
May 30, 2022 09:30 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBThe Drugs and Development Hub is an initiative that brings together researchers, academics, policymakers and people affected by drug economies to discuss new approaches to drug policy. The ultimate goal is to shift mindsets towards more socially conscious and public-health oriented approach. This is the second episode covering the DDH. In this podcast Lindy sits down with a range of regional experts to discuss the issues. Drugs and Development Hub Twitter Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speake...
The "Young Tycoon" and Fake Gold Scams in East Africa
May 17, 2022 12:30 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBIn this episode, Lindy explores the case of Lual Lawrence Malong Yor, a South Sudanese businessman with a compulsion for flamboyant self promotion. But last year he was jailed in Uganda for masterminding a million-dollar fake gold scam. The Malong case is emblematic of a prolific problem in East Africa's gold Market. At the heart of these scams are criminal networks operating in Nairobi and Kampala, with connections in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Presenter: Lindy...
Illicit Markets and Insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique
April 29, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MBThe attack on Palma last year made international headlines but for five years, Mozambique has been the site of a violent insurgency. The armed jihadist group, Ansar Al-Sunna, has terrorised communities in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. It’s believed that more than 3000 people have been killed, and over 700,000 displaced. Despite international recognition and a regional military response, the insurgency remains. In this episode of Africa and the Global Illicit Economy we explore the...
Abalone: The Trafficked South African Sea Snail
March 17, 2022 10:00 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBAbalone is a fairly innocuous little creature that fits in the palm of your hand. It's a type of sea snail found off the coast of South Africa, and abalone is also considered a delicacy in Asia. It's been driven to near-extinction by massive levels of poaching, in a transnational criminal network that sees local, regional and international players compete for profits. In this episode, Lindy speaks to Simon Haysom about a new report from the Global Initiative called Disrupting Abalone Harms...
African Drug Markets and Alternative Development
January 26, 2022 15:00 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MBIn January 2020, experts from around the world gathered in Bogotá Colombia at the Universidad de los Andes for the launch of the Drugs and Development Hub – set up by the London School of Economics, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development – this initiative seeks to bring together academics, decision-makers and people affected by drug economies to discuss new approaches to drug policy. The original focus looked ...
Africa Index on Organized Crime
January 04, 2022 06:00 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBAt the end of November 2021, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime alongside the International Institute for Strategic Studies released the Africa Organized Crime Index 2021 – which provides a picture of criminality and resilience of every country in Africa. The aim is to guide African policymaking and to stimulate debate on one of the greatest threats to the security and development of the continent – organized crime. Lindy sits down with Laura Adal (GITOC) and Martin...
Cheetahs
November 09, 2021 12:00 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MBThe Cheetah – the fastest land animal in the world. This big cat once ranged across most of Africa and into Asia – today there are thought to be only 7,000 still living in the wild. The Cheetah is a protected species and is endangered, but there are a few countries that allow their legal export. But irregularities within the trade system means that abuse is significant – cheetah being taken from the wild and essentially laundered through legal captive breeding facilities. This podcast is ba...
The Kuluna Gangs of Kinshasa
October 06, 2021 14:00 - 40 minutes - 55.7 MB"Joining Kuluna gangs is an expression of anger, injustice and frustration - to enact revenge on society" Kinshasa, a megacity in Central Africa and the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The majority of the 12-million city population are under 25, but rapid urbanisation, a lack of employment opportunities, violence and poverty has seen many of these young people joining street gangs known as Kulunas. In this episode we look at who the Kuluna are; what role they play in their com...
How to Silence the Guns: Southern Africa’s illegal firearms markets
September 20, 2021 12:00 - 28 minutes - 39.3 MBFor decades the illegal firearms market in the Southern African counties was driven by regional conflicts, many of those firearms likely ended up in the hands of criminal groups. But today, we are seeing a much more worrying trend - newer weapons entering the market, some through cross-border trafficking, but more are being sourced domestically. And according to a new research paper from the GI, in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa, a significant number of those firearms are coming from ...
Fishy Business
September 06, 2021 15:30 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MBThis is a story of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, complex corporate structures, human trafficking, arms smuggling, corruption and the capture of state institutions. In this collaborative episode with Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime, we travel to the rich fishing grounds off Puntland in Somalia and a fleet of vessels known as the "Somali 7", before looking into a politically connected company that has an uncanny ability to operate either outside or just on the fringe...
The Death of Déby
June 14, 2021 16:30 - 47 minutes - 65.2 MBOn the 20th April 2021, Idriss Déby Itno, the President of Chad for three decades died from wounds he reportedly suffered on the frontline against rebel fighters. His death could leave a power vacuum in a region that is already rife with instability, fuelling more uncertainty, violence, geopolitical posturing, and criminal opportunity in the Sahel. Chad is a major hub for trafficking activities including drugs, people, gold and vehicles. The porous borders at the extremities contain mercena...
Introducting: Too Many Enemies
May 25, 2021 04:00 - 8 minutes - 11.9 MBWe would like to introduce the Africa and the Global Illicit Economy audience to a new podcast series that has been launched by the https://globalinitiative.net/ (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.) It's called ‘https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/too-many-enemies/ (Too Many Enemies)’ – and the https://feeds.captivate.fm/too-many-enemies/ (series) looks at the https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/the-rule-of-the-gun-hits-and-assassinations-in-south-africa-2000-2017/ (...
Introducing: Too Many Enemies
May 25, 2021 04:00 - 8 minutes - 11.9 MBWe would like to introduce the Africa and the Global Illicit Economy audience to a new podcast series that has been launched by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. It's called ‘Too Many Enemies’ – and the series looks at the assassination crisis in South Africa through the lens of a very specific case. In a brilliant bit of storytelling, this podcast is presented by Paul McNally and produced for the GI by Volume. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, News24,...
Cabo Delgado: Africa’s Forgotten Insurgency
April 28, 2021 15:30 - 49 minutes - 68.7 MBOn March 24th 2021, Islamist insurgents carried out an attack on the coastal town of Palma in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. The days of fighting, looting, massacres, private military contractors, and dramatic rescues led to thousands more people fleeing to escape the violence. The attack took place just a few kilometres from Total’s $20 billion-dollar natural gas project on the Afungi peninsula and in the same province as the huge ruby fields of Montepuez. Last year the...
The Evolution of Meth Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa
March 31, 2021 12:00 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBWith the release of the new report: A Synthetic Age: The Evolution of Methamphetamine Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa - How do GI analysts research drugs? And what happens when, despite the best efforts, prosecution of illicit actors fails? Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Guests: Jason Eligh, Senior Expert at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Alastair Nelson, Senior Fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Shamini Jayanathan, S...
The Future of Libya Under Dabaiba
March 18, 2021 14:45 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBWho is Abdul Hamid al-Dabaiba (Dbeibah), Libya’s transitional prime minister? In this episode, we discuss political alliances, crime governance and the changing dynamics of Libya’s illicit economy under Dabaiba and the Government of National Unity (GNU). Emadeddin Badi, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime Rebecca Murray, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime Jalel Harchaoui, Senior Fellow, Global Initiative against Tra...
Meth and Guns in South Africa, and Crime at Nairobi’s Dandora Dumpsite
February 22, 2021 16:00 - 31 minutes - 43.5 MBIn South Africa, methamphetamine usage and the networks that support them are at all all-time high. And the assassination of a South African police detective highlights the channels by which illegal weapons and firearm licenses are sold to criminals. And, new research from the Global Initiative reveals a tight-knit relationship between criminals and corrupt figures in Nairobi’s only dumpsite. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Jason Eligh, Senior Expert, Global Initiative Against Trans...
Tunisia: Political Unrest and the Illicit Economy
February 12, 2021 12:00 - 34 minutes - 47.5 MBA decade after the 2011 revolution that led to the end of long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s rule, unrest continues in Tunisia. In January citizens took to the streets to protest state repression, corruption, and poverty. How has endemic corruption and uncertainty since 2011 contributed to Tunisia’s current environment? How will the country’s flailing economy impact irregular migration in the year to come? Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Guests: Hiba Tlili, interpreter, researcher a...
Violence in Nelson Mandela Bay, Ernie Solomon’s Assassination and Illicit Mining in Zimbabwe
January 22, 2021 12:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBThe end of 2020 gave way to monumental shifts in the landscape of illicit crime in Southern Africa. This week we discuss how violence in Nelson Mandela Bay, illicit gold mining in Zimbabwe, and the assassination of gangster Ernie Solomon are setting the stage for illicit crime in Southern Africa for the coming year. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Rukshana Parker, Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Marcena Hunter, Senior Analyst at the Global Ini...
Shifting dynamics: Migration Trends Across the Mediterranean
December 23, 2020 12:00 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBSince the 2015 migrant crisis, restrictive measures, tougher policy interventions, and heightened securitization have become the hallmarks of border controls along the Mediterranean. Although it appears that these policy measures have had the desired effect, GI research reveals shifting dynamics and an interplay of cause and effect. In this episode, we investigate these dynamics and discuss them in the context of migrant pushbacks. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Ali Zoubeidi, PhD in ...
Political Elites and Gangs in Kenya
December 08, 2020 12:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBRecent research from the GI in “The Politics of Crime: Kenya’s Gang Phenomenon” uncovers the collusion between political elites and gangs in Kenya. This week’s episode places findings from this research in the context of unequal access to resources, extrajudicial killings, rapidly urbanizing spaces, and Kenya’s 2022 election. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Simone Haysom, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Ken Opala, Senior Fellow, Global Initiati...
Changing Trafficking Dynamics in North Africa and the Sahel
November 24, 2020 12:00 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MBThis week we examine the effect that punitive policy measures and stricter border security enacted by North African nations in the past 5 years have had on human trafficking in the region. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Alexandre Bish, Senior Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Arezo Malakooti, Senior Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Leïla Beratto, Journalist and who, in collaboration with the photographer Bachir, ...
Afghan Meth and Illicit Gold Mining
November 12, 2020 12:00 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBThis week we discuss how illicit heroin shipments discovered in East and Southern Africa have links to growing possible links to Afghan methamphetamine markets, and the difficulties of tackling a surge in illegal gold mining amid deteriorating law-enforcement capacity, endemic corruption and community support for illegal miners in South Africa. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers Ed Stoddard, freelance journalist Jason Eligh, Senior Expert, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organiz...
Security Sector Reform and Organized Crime in Libya
October 30, 2020 14:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBThis week, we’re in Libya where we’ll dive into the challenges of conducting security sector reform in an environment where organized crime is embedded into formal and informal power structures. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Jalel Harchaoui, Research Fellow at the Clingendaely Institute in the Netherlands. Emadeddin Badi, Senior Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Reading ISS Today: Reform of Libya’s security sector must not fail again. POLICY...
Police Assassinations in South Africa & Cheetah Smuggling in Somaliland
October 14, 2020 16:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBIn this week’s episode we discuss the recent assisnation of Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, a top-detective with the Western Cape Anti-Gang unit and corruption in South Africa’s police force. In Somaliland we’ll investigate how cheetah smuggling is decimating populations and what’s being done to stop it. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Julian Rademeyer, Director of the Civil Society Observatory of Illicit Economies in Southern Africa at the Global Initiative Against Transnational O...
Three Men, a Boat and US Sanctions
September 30, 2020 17:00 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBOn the 6th August 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on three men and a boat. The men were Libyan nationals, and the boat an asset of a Maltese company. What connects them all is a criminal network involving the sale of oil and drugs from Libya, across the central Meditarranean and into Europe. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Mark Micallef, Director of the North Africa and Sahel Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. Lorenzo Bagnoli, an i...
How have Gangs in South Africa and Kenya used COVID 19 to recruit children?
September 14, 2020 18:00 - 27 minutes - 38.1 MBWhile international media reported a decrease in gang activity during COVID19 lockdowns in Kenya and South Africa, GI research has uncovered that they have simply shifted strategy. This week’s episode covers a special report on how gangs are recruiting out of school youth in growing numbers and how they are used for illicit activities. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers Julia Stanyard, Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Joyce Kimani, Observatory Coordinator...
Corruption and a coup in Mali
September 08, 2020 12:00 - 35 minutes - 49.4 MBIn this week’s episode of Africa and the Global Illicit Economy, we uncover how unchecked corruption and illicit industries fuelled the discontent that led to Mali’s recent coup. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers: Dr Bréma Ely Dicko - Malian sociologist and anthropologist, former head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Human Sciences of Bamako Peter Tinti - Journalist & Senior Research Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Phi...
Arms Trafficking, Kidnappings and Donkey Skins
August 18, 2020 12:00 - 24 minutes - 34.3 MBIn this week’s episode of Africa and the Global Illicit Economy, we take a look at current trends in organised crime in East and Southern Africa --- From the illicit smuggling of arms and ammunition from Yemen to Somalia; the worrying rise of high-profile kidnappings in Mozambique; and the possible emergence of an organised illicit trade in donkey skins from Kenya. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Speakers Estacio Valoi - Investigative journalist based in Mozambique. Samantha Opere - Samanth...
Social Media and Irregular Migration from Maghreb
August 04, 2020 18:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBIn this episode we explore push factors for surging levels of migration from the Maghreb in early 2020, and how Moroccan social media star, who goes by the name Zizou Vlogs, is lending a new voice to the changing face of irregular migration. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Guests: Matt Herbert, Senior Analyst with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Amine Ghoulidi, King's College London Producer: Alexandria Sahai-Williams Reading material Wired - On YouTube, v...
Emerging Illicit Industries in the Wake of COVID-19
July 22, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 46 MBThis episode examines how bans and increased regulation in above ground industries under the stated intent of “stopping the spread of COVID-19” have led to new forms of illicit trade in Eastern and Southern Africa. In Somalia donations of personal and ventilators have been misappropriated for profit and a ban on Khat threatens to destabilize the lives of growers and sellers in Kenya. In South Africa a ban on tobacco is exposing the tobacco industries participation in the black market. ...
Licit Economy Smuggling in the Maghreb and Sahel
July 07, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBIn this episode of Africa and the Global Illicit Economy we explore how licit economy smuggling has become the backbone of communities across the Maghreb and Sahel. This episode features discussions on how governments tolerate and manage the trade in contraband commodities, medicine smuggling from Tunisia into Libya and the importance of food smuggling to borderland communities. Presenter: Lindy Mtongana Guests: Raouf Farrah Max Gallien Jihane Ben Yahia Related material: Max Galli...
Unintended Consequences: Charcoal, Wine and Dhows
June 23, 2020 10:30 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBIn this episode of Africa and the Global Illicit Economy we explore how developments in East and Southern Africa’s economy can lead to unintended consequences in the illicit economy. This episode features an inside look at how the tension between demand for charcoal and bans on production has given rise to powerful dealers who strike predatory agreements with local communities in Northern Uganda, smugglers who hijack wine exports in South Africa's Western Cape, and how a small sailing vesse...
Human Smuggling, Drug Trafficking & COVID-19 in North Africa & the Sahel
June 09, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 43.3 MBWe start in North Africa and the Sahel where we will give you a comprehensive overview of some of the major illicit markets in the region, before in future episodes taking a more in depth look at the nuances within the illicit economy in Africa. In this episode we will discuss the journey taken by human smugglers and migrants travelling through the Sahel region and how that has been impacted by COVID-19. Before moving onto Libya, the departure point for many of those trying to get to Europ...