The Sahel region

In 2023, the Sahel crisis entered its twelfth year and took on a worrying new dimension. Terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and subsequent military coups continued destabilising the entire region. Multipolar competition between major powers such as Russia and France disrupted regional dynamics, particularly after the arrival of Wagner’s Russian mercenaries and the withdrawal of French military forces in Mali. Although the EU adopted an integrated strategy for the region in 2021, the new dynamics seem to have challenged Europe’s ability to act in this new context.

Therefore, this webinar aimed to analyse the context in which the EU is trying to implement its Integrated Strategy 2021 for the Sahel, examining the challenges and opportunities that the new regional context offers Europe – especially in light of the military coup in Niger. With this aim, speakers will discuss the ‘12 years of crises in the Sahel‘ series.

Moreover, in a context of multipolar competition with actors such as China, Russia, Brazil and India, the EU must make a credible offer to African partners but also (re)think about the overall modalities of cooperation, promoting a more progressive approach based on true partnership and equality. What are the expectations and needs of the Sahel countries in this regard?

Among the speakers:

• Ferdinando Nelli Feroci is President of Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
• Maria João Rodrigues is President of FEPS
• Emanuela Del Re is EU Special Representative for the Sahel
• Boubacar Bah is Researcher at Centre d’analyse sur la gouvernance et la sécurité au Sahel, ONG Eveil (Mali)
• Sibiri Jean Zoundi is Deputy Director for Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat (SWAC/OECD)
• Francesca Caruso is Researcher Africa at Middle East and Mediterranean Programme, IAI
• Andriy Korniychuk is Policy Analyst at FEPS

This meeting was part of a research project aimed at contributing to the development of potential solutions to promote peace and security in the Sahel region. The project is co-hosted by FEPS and Fondation Jean Jaurès.