Conakry, Guinea – A delegation from the ECOWAS Parliament held high-level talks in Conakry on Monday, June 16, 2025, meeting with Guinea’s Transitional National Council (CNT) to prepare for a crucial sensitisation mission on substance abuse and mental health. Guinean lawmakers used the session to voice urgent concerns, describing the country’s drug and mental health situation as a “national emergency.”
Among the key issues highlighted by Guinean MPs, including Professor Hassan, Chairman of the CNT’s Health Committee, were the prevalence of cross-border drug trafficking, the use of internally concealed couriers, and widespread corruption facilitating the trade. Other parliamentarians underscored a worrying rise in youth addiction, mental illness, and drug-related crime across the nation. Discussions also touched upon the growing threat of digital trafficking, environmental risks associated with substance abuse, and its broader social impact.
The meeting served as a strategic platform for the ECOWAS delegation, comprising parliamentarians and staff, to gain insight into Guinea’s specific challenges ahead of planned public engagements. Participants from the Guinean side included members of the CNT’s Committees on Health and Defence, along with representatives from the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea. Guinean authorities reportedly welcomed the meeting as timely and relevant, reaffirming their commitment to the sensitisation programme. The discussions successfully set the stage for subsequent field visits and community dialogues scheduled to commence on June 17, 2025.
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