But as terrorism spills over from the Sahel to coastal West Africa, is the new U.S. initiative both too little and too late? Meeting only minimal resistance given limited state capacities, jihadist groups are now encroaching on coastal West Africa. With violence spilling over from the Sahel into coastal West Africa, the region risks spiraling into cascading volatility. Many of the problems that currently plague coastal West Africa cannot be solved with U.S. military assistance (which itself could have unintended consequences, like exacerbating existing issues such as corruption). But the encroachment of terrorist violence on coastal West Africa should also be a warning call.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 05, 2023 14:24 UTC