A new generation speaks out
The new generations of Africa no longer want to be portrayed as passive recipients of external interventions. They want to write their own story, free from the weight of the past and from the “economic interests” that continue to exploit the continent.
PLACE: a grassroots network for change
From this awareness, PLACE – Peace and Liberation in Africa through Change and Engagement was born, promoted by Libera Internazionale, the Italian network that for almost 30 years has been fighting mafias, corruption, and organised crime through civic engagement, education, and the social reuse of confiscated assets.
Launched in Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, PLACE today brings together more than 40 organisations from 16 African countries. It is part of a wider global effort that links together CHANCE – Civil Hub Against Organised Crime in Europe and ALAS – América Latina Alternativa Social, three intercontinental networks united by a common vision: building civic resilience against organised crime, corruption, and violence, and promoting peace as a concrete practice of democracy.
Africais telling its own story
In June 2023, PLACE held its founding assembly in Grand Bassam. For the first time, African activists encountered European partners who chose to listen instead of instruct, creating a space for Africans themselves to set priorities. Delegates filled a “blank page” with bold and honest analyses of the challenges in their societies — climate change, lack of access to higher education, economic dependency on raw material exports, widespread corruption, and the growth of transnational criminal networks.
Organised crime, mafias, and corruption: the challenge we face
PLACE does not emerge in an abstract Africa. It responds to real and pressing threats:
- Africa loses $89 billion annually in illicit financial flows, nearly double the total amount of international aid it receives.
- The Sahel has become a major cocaine trafficking corridor, with seizures increasing from 13 kg (2013–2020 average) to 1,466 kg in 2022, funding armed groups and criminal economies.
- Nigeria alone loses around 55 million barrels of oil each year to theft and illegal bunkering, while counterfeit drugs and cigarette smuggling generate illicit profits larger than the GDP of smaller West African states.
- Mafia-style groups thrive in fragile states such as Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya, while international networks like Black Axe extend their reach far beyond Africa, involved in cyber-fraud, human trafficking, and drug trade.
These dynamics erode democracy, fuel conflict, and perpetuate instability — making it ever more urgent to build alliances for peace and justice.
A shared declaration
At its first Assembly in Grand Bassam in May 2023, PLACE members adopted and signed a Common Final Declaration. The document reaffirms shared values — respect, dignity, solidarity, and sets out commitments to:
- Promote legality, transparency, and democratic justice.
- Create alternatives for youth and women in vulnerable contexts through education, art, and sport.
- Denounce human rights violations, corruption, and organised crime.
- Support victims and families affected by transnational organised crime and environmental crimes.
- Strengthen cooperation across national, regional, and international networks.
A global role: linking continents for peace and disarmament
PLACE is part of a wider global vision. Together with CHANCE – Civil Hub Against Organised Crime in Europe and ALAS – América Latina Alternativa Social, it represents Libera’s effort to weave a global civic alliance against mafias and corruption. These three networks form a triangle of solidarity across continents, proving that the fight for justice and dignity must be international.
At a time when conflicts are multiplying and military spending is rising, PLACE brings to the forefront the urgency of reaffirming peace and disarmament as central to our lives. Organised crime and corruption flourish in war economies and authoritarian systems: building peace is therefore inseparable from dismantling illicit power structures.
PLACE is more than a network: it is a call for a new beginning. In the face of mafias, corruption, illicit trafficking, and the spread of violence, it demonstrates that young Africans, linked to allies across Europe and Latin America, are ready to take the lead in shaping a different future.
By joining forces globally, PLACE, CHANCE, and ALAS reaffirm a shared conviction: only by putting peace, justice, and disarmament at the centre can we break the chains of exploitation and give back dignity to communities worldwide.
Follow PLACE on its social media and through our website to discover the voices, projects, and initiatives of the network.