Khat, a mild narcotic which has been in existence in most of the Eastern African region as well as the Arabian peninsula since time immemorial and a backbone to the Ethiopian economy, has become the latest bone of contention in the Eastern African country.
Banned in the United States, Canada, Uganda, and in some European countries, khat is mainly exported to countries in the East African sub-region, Yemen and the United Kingdom, which has been struggling to effect a ban. But despite its numerous economic advantages, the Ethiopian government has frowned on the use of khat. The regional government of Ethiopia’s Tigray region has already banned the cultivation of the plant. They claim that khat has the potential of wrecking havoc to its social fabric.
This has given the impetus for police raids on illegal khat operators in the East African country. Some operators are claimed to admit boys of school-going age into parlours where some engage in illicit trades of stolen goods. But the police clampdown in neighbourhoods harbouring illegal operators has reportedly caused much amusement as the stimulant leaf is readily available at most street corners in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Million of dollars
The substance also known as celastrus edulis or catha edulis, a green stimulant leaf, popular in the horn of Africa and Yemen, is one of the main cash crops in the Hararge region of Ethiopia. It said to fetch the agicultural sector millions of dollars. Local khat growers are among some of the well-to-do farmers. The crop earned Ethiopia some "sixty million US dollars between 1999 and 2000" alone, Dechassa Lemessa of the United Nations Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia confirmed to the BBC in 2002.
The crop, which needs little water to survive in an area best known for its long droughts, is traditionally believed to contain unique medicinal properties are extensively used in the treatment of number of ailments including asthma and gonorrhoea among others. However, although some claim that khat is not a benign stimulant, it has been criticised for dealing serious psychotic consequences to long-term users as well as being carcinogenic and addictive. Khat-chewers admit that it can trigger some sort of paranoia and constipation.
In some parts of the East African region as well as parts of the Arabian peninsula, khat has long served as a substitute for alcohol, which is banned by Islam.
Banning khat
Blaming the stimulant leaf for causing more harm than good to the Ethiopian society, Tsegaye HaileMariam, Addis Ababa city council’s head of justice and legal affairs has, reportedly, expressed his desire to have khat banned in Ethiopia. This follows an arduous quest by some British politicians to ban khat use and sale in the Untited Kingdom by supporting legislation to make it a classified drug. The substance, imported from Ethiopia, is sold in supermarkets across the UK.
If the ban on Khat in the UK is obtained, Ethiopia’s agricultural sector could lose a lot in revenue, however, should Ethiopia make cultivation illegal, other countries in the sub-region might cease the opportunity to increase their output. So far, the only choice for the Ethiopian government is a controlled cultivation and use of the plant which has seen its use rise both in Ethiopia and the United Kingdom.
