West African countries are preparing a US$345 million regional programme to combat livestock theft, a crime that authorities say threatens security, pastoral livelihoods and public health across the subregion.
The initiative was unveiled this week in Dakar during a workshop organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), bringing together representatives from all 15 member states from February 9 to 12.
If formally approved, the programme will be implemented between 2026 and 2030 and will focus on three main pillars: the digitisation of livestock traceability systems, the alignment of judicial and security frameworks across borders, and the structured involvement of pastoral communities and professional organisations in early warning, prevention and awareness efforts.
In a statement, Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture said the workshop included officials from livestock, agriculture, security and justice ministries, alongside pastoral organisations, regional and international institutions, academics and private-sector actors.
“This broad participation underscores a strong commitment to building a multisectoral, coordinated and sustainable response to livestock theft,” the ministry said.
More Read
Livestock theft has long plagued parts of West Africa, driven by rural insecurity, weak law enforcement, limited animal identification systems and the growing involvement of organised criminal networks.
Security analysts warn the crime has increasingly become intertwined with regional instability. In an October 2025 report, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said several violent extremist organisations, including Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), use livestock theft to finance their operations.
According to the report, animals stolen from conflict-affected areas in central Mali and northern Burkina Faso are transported through the tri-border area linking Burkina Faso, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, before being sold in markets in coastal states.
More Read
“Thousands of heads of livestock are moved across this zone via intermediaries, allowing armed groups to profit from major livestock markets in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana,” the report said.
The FAO estimates that livestock theft causes economic losses of more than $467 million annually across West Africa, dealing a heavy blow to pastoral households and national livestock production systems.
Some countries have already introduced national countermeasures. In Senegal, authorities established a Livestock Theft Task Force in 2013, deployed specialised rural gendarmerie units nationwide and, in 2017, passed legislation criminalising livestock theft with prison sentences of five to 10 years.
Despite these steps, the problem persists. FAO estimates suggest Senegalese farmers lose between 22,000 and 30,000 cattle, sheep and goats each year, translating into losses of about $3.2 million.
Beyond the economic damage, FAO warns that livestock theft also presents public health risks. Stolen animals often enter informal and illegal slaughter networks, both domestically and across borders, bypassing veterinary controls and increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
Officials say the cross-border nature of the crime limits the effectiveness of purely national responses, making regional coordination essential.
More Read
West African governments hope the proposed programme will strengthen cooperation, improve traceability and disrupt criminal networks at a time when livestock trade remains a vital economic pillar for both Sahelian and coastal states.
Whether the initiative can reverse long-standing trends will depend on sustained political commitment, financing and the ability to translate regional coordination into action on the ground.
