There are many significant developments that serve to turn the Sahel region into a battleground in the fight against violence and radical non-state formations. The post-colonial borders in nations such as Mali, Niger, Libya, Chad and Sudan cut directly through clans and ethnic groups. The European Union’s interests in the Sahel region are historically shaped by economic and security questions alike. France is indeed one of the most active EU countries in the Sahel by virtue of its historic, colonial ties to the region, yet it is no longer the gendarmerie of it. Thus, from a security point of view, the Sahel region has become a laboratory for experiments in “light-touch” counterterrorism for Western powers.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 09, 2020 21:11 UTC