By Tara Joshi
In 2023 alone, the Sahel is responsible for 43% of global terrorism-related deaths. The Sahel is a vast region that stretches across the Sahara.
The Sahel has emerged into a region filled with a variety of powers. They include foreign, extremist, terrorist groups, French troops, and a sprinkle of their own. Initially known for its wealth of natural resources like uranium and oil, the region more recently gained infamous attention for its continuous coup d’états, slowly causing the region to dissolve into uncertainty.
Mali’s government was first to fall, with its military taking over in August 2020. They were followed by Chad in April 2021, and just 5 months later Guinea. Shortly after, counties around the region fell to their respective powers with Sudan in October 2021, Burkina Faso in January 2022 and the most recent being Niger in July 2023. The rapid and harsh political changes cause us to question the motives and powers in place. The region’s economic growth is projected to fall from 3.6% in 2022 to 2.5% in 2023, the result of continuous political instability and conflict.
The region consists of countries that have deposits of the most expensive natural resources and are amongst the poorest in the world. What causes the people of the Sahel to feel discontent with their political representatives and where is the money going? Money allocated for health, roads and general infrastructure does not reach the working population. Conflict and corruption are interconnected, with corruption feeding the amount of violence. Due to corruption, defence and security actors are not seen as credible providers of security but rather as contributors to the dynamics of the conflict.
Along with this, a vast and complex security struggle can be seen. These security issues are most prominently seen in Mali, Burkina Faso and Mali, though present all across the Sahel region. The region serves as a base for several regional terrorist groups, due to the lack of governance in each country. Armed fighters, separatist and extremist groups linked to the Jihadists, Al-Qadea, and ISIL are most present and turn the region into a war zone, with the death of innocent every day. In 2022, the Sahel region counted for ½ of the terrorist deaths seen worldwide. The population grows increasingly impatient with the lack of action taken by their local government to combat these terrorist groups. Especially seen in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the coup tends to use the lack of actions by the previous government as justification for their seizure and place in power.
A previous colonial power in the region, France established itself as a key player in the development of the Sahel. Though the Sahel has been independent since the 1960s, France’s continued presence in the region makes people think that their exploitation of available natural resources and “neo-colonial” influence hasn’t ended. In 2019, France kept an estimated 9,000 troops in all of their ex-colonies, emphasising their power and ability to influence political events. While proving the exact link between the French and countries is difficult, France’s military continues to remain present in many African, ex-colonial states. They are able to exert military influence towards policies and claim the related benefits. Dispopularity was also seen amongst politicians in the region, when Mali’s prime minister accused France of “neo-colonial, condescending, and revanchist practices” in the September 2022 UN General Assembly. After the Russian military adviser’s arrival in Mali, in late 2021, Moscow repeatedly proved its ability to take advantage of Western governance shortfalls, instability and growing anti-french sentiment. This is not to no surprise, with the public outraged with the French’s actions in the Sahel- good or bad, seen recently after Niger’s military coup, kicking out 1,500 French troops. The growing pro-Russian appeal comes from both the population's anger at the French and the UN’s inability to respond to crises effectively and the very fact that supporting Russia is against France. The instability causes the public to turn to Russian “mercenaries” from the Wagner group who have been repeatedly involved in cases of political violence in the region. On February 7th, 2023, after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Bamako, Mali, he stated that Russia was to support the Sahel nations against Jihadists. While Russia’s Sahel footsteps remain small, they hint at a future of involvement.
The future of the Sahel lies uncertain, with new powers and players emerging. As the situation intensifies, we can only hope that the Sahel, a region so strong in natural resources and was once a rapidly developing region, would be able to recover swiftly, for the economic benefit of the world.
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