Cocaine trade on the wane in West African transit hub

Bissau  - The velvet-covered sofas of the X Club in Bissau were until recently part of the cocaine trail from South America to Europe.

It was in nightclubs like this, between bursts of hip-hop and "Gumbe" - the trademark music of Guinea Bissau - that deals were sealed and drugs mules recruited.

Such places helped earn Guinea-Bissau the label of narco-state, with cartels favouring the fragile West African nation for its political instability and geographical proximity to Europe and Colombia.

But the United Nations says fewer drugs are now flowing through the former Portuguese colony.

"There has been increased pressure by the international community, by mass media, on traffickers and decision makers in Guinea Bissau and the rest of West Africa," said Antonio Mazzitelli, Regional Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"(West African) heads of state were, until recently, more or less in denial of the problem."

Expensive wines used to be a popular choice at the X Club, but bar staff say they now take more orders for soft drinks and locally-brewed "Crystal" bottled beer than the champagne of the same name - a sign for some that there is less drugs money sloshing around.

"You don't see as many people splashing their cash in Bissau lately," said Fernando Ignoirez, a resident of the capital city. "That's not to say dodgy things are no longer happening, but some people say there has been a decrease in the drugs trade here."

A report recently published by UNODC says there are now bigger threats to Guinea Bissau and the rest of West Africa, including fake malaria drugs, oil siphoning and cigarette smuggling.

In 2007, 28 per cent of the cocaine seized in Europe was from South America via countries in Africa. The UN report says that by 2008, that figure had fallen to seven per cent.

But even though illegal drugs trafficking through Guinea Bissau has slowed, the country's reputation as a narco-state persists, in part due to political instability that some hope may finally be coming to an end.

New President Malam Bacai Sanha, who was this month sworn, has vowed to end the country's role as a drug trafficking hub.

He also pledged to investigate the murder of his predecessor, President Bernardo "Nino" Vieira, who was assassinated six months ago.

Rights groups say the killing of Vieira in March removed a key player in the global cocaine trafficking circuit. A report released in June by the research body International Crisis Group linked the assassination of Vieira and that of his army chief, General Tagme, to criminal drug trafficking networks.

Analysts say the Portuguese-speaking country now has to prove that it can make fresh steps towards development and political security.

In a statement issued on Sanha's inauguration day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said he was confident that "with the support of international partners, the people and leaders of Guinea-Bissau will continue their efforts to strengthen democracy and foster respect for the rule of law."

But some wonder what will become of Bissau-Guineans who have come to rely on the drugs circuit to feed their families.

Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, ranked 173 out of 177 in the UN's Human Development Index.

At the X Club, most of the clientele lining the bar on a weekday night know someone who has given up a poorly-paid job to cash in on drugs trafficking.

"These people will find something else to do, they'll find another way to make money" said Mazzitelli .

But some of the punters at the X Club are not so sure.

"Most Bissau-Guineans earn very little and quality of life is poor here" said Ignoirez. "Who can blame them for wanting a piece of the pie?" (dpa)