France, a big waste recycler, had to stop taking in its neighbors' waste in 1988 because its recycling facilities were filled to capacity with domestic waste. Until 1988, Europe's favorite solution to toxic waste was to incinerate it in the North Sea, until the sea died and 63 countries agreed to stop waste incineration in the North Sea as of 1994. Africa, unfortunately, became a prime target. Geographically, most sub-Saharan countries have vast, sparsely populated territories that are not really controlled by any authority. There are also no serious controls of Africa's coastal waters.
Populations are still largely illiterate and susceptible to persuasion.
African countries lack the experts and facilities to determine the contents of shipments. Western countries are willing to pay to dump their waste. The Organization for African Unity, concerned with having individual countries decide the issue, persuaded the African countries not to sign. Mozambique, a country on the Indian Ocean bordering South Africa, is one of the world's leading victims of terrorism. The atrocities are so horrible many cannot even be imagined.