Amidst the vibrant tourist season in Marseille, a grim reality unfolds as deadly drug wars escalate. The month of August has witnessed seven fatalities, with victims aged 21 to 39 gunned down

across different parts of the city. The local police have recorded a staggering 68 shootings this year, resulting in approximately 30 deaths. This toll has already surpassed the total for the entire year of 2022, when there were 60 shootings and 31 gunshot-related fatalities tied to drug-related activities.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on August 17 that CRS 8, a specialized unit focusing on urban violence, will be deployed to Marseille for targeted operations against drug trafficking in the coming days.

This recent surge of violence has broken the period of relative calm following the apprehension of trafficking groups and hit squads. The root cause of this wave of conflict can be attributed to a fierce rivalry between two powerful factions: DZ Mafia and Yoda. While the leaders of these factions have been identified, they remain elusive. Some of their associates have met violent ends, including incidents in Spain before the summer.

The battleground for these two networks is the lucrative market of La Paternelle, a strategically located housing estate near highways. Their territorial disputes and vendettas have dragged nearly 20 other major sales points into their conflicts, leading to a surge in violence. This ongoing war is reportedly responsible for 80% of the murders recorded in the city since the beginning of the year. Photo by Jddmano, Wikimedia commons.