The Sahel

The CSIS Africa Program provides analysis on the trends shaping the region through reports, private events, the Into Africa podcast, and our annual Sahel Summit in September

The Sahel is home to one of the world’s most protracted conflicts. A lethal mix of weak governance, mounting insecurity, and widening social chasms is resulting in a growing extremist threat, increased ethnic tension, and untold human suffering.
 
The Africa Program in coordination with the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda, Cooperative Defense Project, Global Food Security Program, and Project on Prosperity and Development, launched a series analyzing the complex challenges that shape humanitarian considerations in the Sahel. Details on the series can be found here.

All The Sahel Content

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Finding a Path through Quagmire

The insurgency in the Sahel has led to widespread humanitarian needs. Humanitarian operations are limited by instability and the competing agendas of regional actors. Improving humanitarian outcomes will require enhanced cooperation and increased understanding.

Brief by Will Brown — August 12, 2022

Spurring Private Investment in Africa

On March 25, 2022, join the CSIS Africa Program for an expert panel on private investment in Africa. Speakers will take stock of the current business climate and explore practical ways to spur more investment.

Event — March 25, 2022

Déby’s Dead. What’s Next for Chad and the Sahel?

Longtime Chadian president Idriss Déby has died. CSIS’s Judd Devermont addresses the internal challenges facing Chad’s interim military council as well as implications for counterterrorism operations in the region.

Critical Questions by Judd Devermont — April 20, 2021

Rethinking Crisis Responses in the Sahel

The conflict in the Sahel is entering its tenth year, and the region has never been further from peace. Judd Devermont and Marielle Harris urge regional and international stakeholders to re-assess and revalidate their strategies in the region.

Brief by Judd Devermont and Marielle Harris — December 22, 2020

Security Fragmentation Hinders Humanitarian Response in the Sahel

The Sahel’s fragmented security environment underpins all issues faced by those in need of humanitarian support—and those trying to deliver it. Kyle Murphy outlines distinct challenges in Central Sahel and recommends steps toward smarter aid delivery.

Report by Kyle Murphy — November 17, 2020

Online Event: The 2nd Annual Sahel Summit

On October 16, 2020, the CSIS Africa Program will host a virtual livestream event examining the state of play in the Sahel, key priorities for regional and international stakeholders, and challenges and opportunities for coordination.

Event — October 16, 2020

The Malian Military Ousts a Wayward Government

This week, the Malian military overthrew the civilian government amid deteriorating security conditions and mounting corruption. Judd Devermont discusses short- and long-term implications of the coup and outlines recommendations for a peaceful transition to civilian rule.

Critical Questions by Judd Devermont — August 19, 2020

No Time for Complacency: The Covid-19 Pandemic in West Africa’s Sahel Region

Sahelian governments are responding to Covid-19 amid protracted security and humanitarian crises. Senior Associate Will Brown lays out implications of the virus and argues that foreign partners should sustain their counterterrorism and humanitarian efforts in the region.

Critical Questions by Will Brown — July 8, 2020

Politics at the Heart of the Crisis in the Sahel

As violence escalates across the Sahel, Judd Devermont explains why tackling the domestic political obstacles to a more robust response is essential to addressing these urgent security challenges.

Brief by Judd Devermont — December 6, 2019