A Global Report that has named Sierra Leone as the epicenter of the “Kush” trade in West Africa has implicated the country’s judiciary, police, and parliament in the “Kush” cartel.
The report revealed that soon after the emergence of kush in Sierra Leone, it was rumored that politicians were behind its import and distribution but that the fact is the “kush” market appeared to keep growing without disruption or law enforcement activity fuelled widespread public accusations that it had political protection.
“However a key insight from this research is that most evidence points to predominantly local protection structures, concentrated around points of entry and spaces used for cooking, distribution and retail, rather than political protection at a national level,” the report states
The report continues that there have been instances of local protection involving port officials, police, the judiciary, and members of Parliament (MPs).
The analysis suggests a protection system reminiscent of the complex overlap between state and non-state interests common during and after the war which suggests that the structure of the political economy – the overlap between economic rents and political interests – in part facilitates the expanding kush market.
By Thomas Dixon
