Mali: When MILD restructures to curb rampant drug addiction
Faced with the worrying normalization of drug use and its growing repercussions on public security, the Interministerial Mission for Coordination of the Fight against Drugs (MILD) is undertaking a major reorganization. During a strategic session held on February 20, 2026, the national coordination body approved a profound restructuring through the creation of five specialized commissions, marking a decisive turning point in the fight against drugs.
Established in 2015, MILD is now adapting its apparatus to cover the entire chain of prevention, control, and care.
The new commissions are structured around the following key areas: policy and strategy, legislation and law enforcement, prevention and awareness, licit trafficking and care for drug addicts, as well as international cooperation.
This reorganization aims to strengthen the coherence of interventions and ensure better coordination between the relevant institutional actors.
The session was chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, Oumar Sogoba, who emphasized the urgency of a structured response to the rise of drug addiction.
According to him, the increase in drug consumption directly fuels certain forms of crime, weakens the social fabric, and accentuates the existing security challenges.
The institutional readjustment thus appears as a strategic necessity to stem a phenomenon with multiple ramifications.
The stated objective is to move towards a phase of more targeted, coordinated actions based on evidence.
The approach now favors systematic program evaluation to measure the real effectiveness of initiatives implemented on the ground.
Such a direction should optimize available resources and identify the most relevant intervention levers.
Parallel to this administrative reform, operational actions are experiencing a notable intensification.
Awareness campaigns are being organized in several localities to alert people to the dangers associated with drug use.
Incineration operations of seized products have also been carried out, reflecting the authorities’ determination to act on all fronts.
This new dynamic reflects a firm desire to strengthen the governance of the anti-drug fight and to sustainably protect society against the devastating effects of narcotics.
Neil Camara
