Congo: Conflict leaves legacy of widespread addiction

Many of the atrocities committed during the armed conflicts that have plagued the Republic of Congo in recent years were fuelled by illicit narcotics. Warlords and militia leaders gave drugs to young fighters to eliminate fear and scruple. Now, although the civil war is officially over, the scourge of drug addition lingers on, hampering recovery and development. One regular cocaine user is 20-year-old Junior "The Colonel" Mbio. He was first given drugs by the leader of an armed group when full-scale civil war broke out in 1997.