Trouble in the Sahel
Colonial Scars, Faltering Institutions and the Outbreak of Violent Extremism in West AfricA
In the deserts of West Africa, within a strip of semiarid land separating the desert and savannahs, lies one of the most serious humanitarian and security crises. One that many in the West are unaware of. With the region accounting for 43 percent of the world’s terrorism-related casualties in 2022, the area known as the Sahel is now considered the de facto center for global terrorism with numerous Islamist extremist groups taking land and conducting attacks on civilians and governments alike.
Historical and Colonial Roots
Credit: Creative Commons
Consisting of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal, the current state of affairs in the Sahel was never a hub of global terrorism until recently.
In 2011, after the collapse of the Libyan government, an outflow of Islamist extremist fighters and weapons spread into Mali and reignited a consequent military coup there only a year later. The coup thus began a domino effect of violent extremism spreading throughout the region, with numerous groups aligning ideologically with al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS popping up throughout the Sahel. In 2013, France–the former colonial power of West Africa– attempted to end the growing security threat with the launch of Operation Barkhane. However, despite it and its Western allies like the U.S., pouring out billions of dollars in military aid and putting thousands of soldiers on the ground, their presence only increased terrorist activity and fueled anti-French sentiments among locals, further increasing political instability. It ultimately resulted in French President Emmanuel Macron announcing the end of the operation, pulling the last French troops out of Africa in 2022.
Widely seen as a military failure, Operation Barkhane exposed the West’s antiquated understanding of the continually evolving and complex nature of violent extremism and its intersections with other major issues hampering the Sahel, such as underdevelopment and lack of economic opportunities. France and its allies' inability to strengthen their influence along with addressing the economic and security situations in the region has only exacerbated the already spiraling state of the Sahel.
The ensuing conflicts between warring extremists and national governments as well as intercommunal violence translated into numerous indiscriminate attacks against local civilians. Such violence sparked a major humanitarian crisis with over 10,000 deaths reported between 2019-2021. Over 4.3 million people were left displaced across the region as a result of the conflict, with that number expected to increase over time.
Left at a Crossroads
Unlike previous crises, the Sahelian crisis is a rather complex and layered amalgamation of colonial legacies, development shortcomings, and poor governance.
Firstly, the crisis in the Sahel is not just a security issue, but a major development issue. West Africa is already one of the poorest areas in the world as Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali each have a GDP well under $22 billion according to a World Bank estimate in 2022. On top of that, climate change has contributed to major ecological degradation of the region. A combination of rising temperatures and more frequent natural disasters have resulted in unusable farmland and effectively devastated the local livelihoods of traditional farming communities as well as increased food insecurity. With little food and few opportunities beyond agriculture, climate change’s impact exacerbates local ethnic tensions and dissatisfaction with the government. With their traditional way of life gone and no opportunities to produce a stable livelihood, many within these ethnic communities end up joining violent extremist groups as they are promised food, money, and protection in exchange for their recruitment.
Simultaneous with climate change is the issue of poor governance found throughout West Africa. Between 1960 and 2022 there have been twenty-five coups in the Sahel. In the past two years alone, Niger, Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso have all experienced one or multiple successful coups, with Niger being the most recent this past August. The scars of colonialism and the failure of Operation Barkhane (along with its reported human rights abuses committed by French soldiers) served as motivators for West African leaders to look elsewhere for international support, specifically Russia and China.
Such a messy chain of events and the involvement of various actors make addressing the outbreak of terrorism in the Sahel complicated. Ultimately, to maintain relevance in the region and the global fight against terrorism, the U.S. would need to update its West African counterterrorism strategy to address the multidimensional nature of the situation correctly. With threats of waning Western influence, the U.S. must recalibrate its current strategy to properly restabilize the region and minimize influence from rival powers like Russia and China.
What the future holds
The U.S. and its allies have an opportunity to mold their counterterrorism strategy to focus more on developing economic and governance capabilities in the region, rather than solely a militaristic response. An overtly militaristic and aggressive strategy acts as a temporary bandage that only warrants stronger terrorist resistance. Conversely, by utilizing international aid, more sustainable economic opportunities can be developed in the Sahel as a part of the American counterterrorism strategy. By addressing the root of developmental setbacks that motivate violent extremism, the U.S. can truly address the crises on all levels and more effectively rehabilitate the Sahel towards political, economic, and social stability.
Second, a solution should focus on encouraging good governance by leaning towards a more “governance-first” policy that seeks to develop strong institutions in the Sahel. Instead of only providing military training and security assistance, the U.S. can also provide programs to help develop community governance and responsible use of force within West African militaries. A strong government with integrity-driven leadership is vital to not only deterring violent extremist groups from attacking its population but also providing that very populous with opportunities and resources that diminish the appeal of joining an extremist group.
Overall, as both experts and policymakers further understand the gravity and depth of West Africa’s struggle with translational terrorism the more apparent the need is to update and revamp current American and Western counterterrorism strategies. Though much work needs to be done, understanding the different factors contributing to the situation, the more likely the U.S. can properly help stabilize West Africa and its regional security as well as cap the extremist threats from going further abroad.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE