Jabir Touré's article, published in the Revue internationale des francophonies, examines the efforts of French-speaking Sahel countries in combating terrorism, focusing on the G5 Sahel. Established in 2014 by Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, the G5 Sahel is an intergovernmental organization aiming to enhance security and development in the region. Despite international support, notably from France through Operation Barkhane, and the creation of Task Force Takuba in 2020, the G5 Sahel joint force struggles to reach full operational capacity. Terrorist groups like the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) have expanded their influence, making 2019 particularly deadly. However, since the Pau Summit in January 2020, improved coordination between national forces and their partners has partially reversed the balance of power on the ground.

Politics, Political party, State, Natural ressources, Peace, Justice, Conflict, Jihad, Terrorism, Gold

This article explores the evolution and impact of terrorism in Africa, highlighting its recent mutations and its adaptation to political and geopolitical contexts. It highlights the rise of radical Islamist groups such as Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, AQIM, and their common goals of establishing Islamic regimes based on Sharia law. The fragmentation of states, the inability to control vast and under-administered territories, as well as external influences such as the ideology of Daesh, maintain the expansion of these groups. Key areas, including the Sahel, Sinai and East Africa, are identified as major hotbeds of terrorist activity. The article stresses the urgency of a coordinated and adapted response to counter this growing threat and stabilize the continent.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Jihad, Terrorism, Gold, Human security, Violence, Threat

The article explores the geopolitics of terrorism in Africa, analyzing the challenges and responses proposed by African states and their international partners. It highlighted the rapid adaptation of terrorist groups such as AQIM, MUJAO and Boko Haram, faced with often ineffective strategies. Initiatives such as the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) are struggling to gain traction due to problems of coordination, financing and foreign influences that prioritize their strategic interests. Better governance, enhanced cooperation and comprehensive approaches are essential to counter the rise of terrorism, as is the fight against its financing and support. The article calls for a melting down of African armies and the establishment of multidimensional strategies, integrating the ideological, educational and economic aspects.

Politics, Political party, State, Natural ressources, Security, Jihad, Terrorism, Gold, Human security, Threat

This communication aims to analyze the cross-border migrations of women traders in sub-Saharan Africa. To carry out this study, we used a qualitative methodology comprising a semi-structured interview guide addressed to a number of 42 people, with 6 respondents per country. The approaches that are: historical, informality, comprehensive of Max Weber and the comparative method of Durkheim Émile were used for theoretical illumination. It follows from this study that cross-border migrations of women traders constitute a survival strategy and a fight against unemployment. In addition, they weaken the macroeconomy by promoting the flourishing of the informal economy. Thus, they allow the greatest number of vulnerable households to survive.

Political party, Migration, Boundary, Gender, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Women, Trade, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production

Food policies in West Africa oscillate between responding to risks and acting as a factor of insecurity. Since the 1960s, regulatory frameworks have evolved, but concrete results remain limited. These policies, influenced by complex political and economic dynamics, struggle to reconcile the divergent interests of stakeholders (consumers, producers, traders). The State plays a central but weakened role in regulating tensions between formal and informal, legal and illegal categories. Food policies often lack clear priorities and public consensus, despite the recent harmonization of strategic frameworks. They are often relegated by better-defined agricultural and health policies.

Politics, State, Agriculture, Livestock, Food security

The International Crisis Group’s article “Reordering Sahel Stabilization Strategies” analyzes the limitations of current approaches to the growing insecurity in the Sahel region. It highlights that strategies focused on the security-development nexus, as well as state capacity building, are failing to stem the violence. The article calls for a revision of these strategies, with an emphasis on political dialogue, governance reform, and better coordination of military efforts with renewed political initiatives. It also calls for increased involvement of local actors and adaptation of interventions to the specific realities of each country concerned.

Politics, Dialogue, Réforme

The Crisis Group report (No. 267, 13 December 2018) examines how drug trafficking, especially cocaine and cannabis, intensifies violence in northern Mali. It outlines a “highly competitive” criminal landscape dominated by Tuareg armed groups and jihadists vying for control of illicit trade routes . The weakened Malian state struggles to assert authority, enabling shifting alliances among traffickers, local militias, and politico-military groups. The intertwining of narcotics trafficking and political stakes further destabilizes governance and fuels insecurity. The report recommends strengthening the rule of law, combating corruption, enhancing regional coordination, and launching economic development programs to provide alternatives for local communities.

Politics, Governance, Violence, Illegal activity, Trafic de drogue

Marie-Dominique Aguillon's article, "The Making of Senegalese Migration Policy," published in the journal Anthropologie & développement, examines the process of developing migration policy in Senegal, influenced by interventions from international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Based on ethnographic research, the article analyzes how these entities promote standardized migration policies in West Africa, focusing on the interactions between policymakers, experts, academics, and civil society actors in Senegal. The study reveals that, although the IOM plays a prescriptive role by introducing norms and policy frameworks, there are dynamics of local negotiation, contestation, and adaptation. Senegalese actors do not merely follow international directives passively but actively participate in the co-construction of migration policy, reflecting a plurality of logics and strategies. The article also highlights the tensions between the objectives of international organizations and national priorities, shedding light on challenges related to sovereignty and local ownership of migration policies.

Politics, Sovereignty, Migration

The document explores the violent conflicts linked to the artisanal and semi-mechanized gold mining sector in Burkina Faso, particularly in the Sahel and South-West regions. The study identifies traditional conflicts (between artisans, with landowners and industrialists) and emerging conflicts (involving armed groups). It analyzes the causes of these conflicts, such as control of resources and cultural tensions, as well as their escalation due to the presence of armed groups. The report offers an assessment of positivist and denialist theoretical approaches to peaceful resolution, aimed at promoting societal cohesion

Politics, Governance, Gold