This article explores the complex relationship between climate change and conflicts in the Sahel. Author Luca Raineri questions the often-assumed link between environmental degradation and the rise of terrorism in the region. Poorly designed programs, such as the Great Green Wall and anti-desertification measures, have sometimes worsened tensions by marginalizing local communities. Authoritarian environmental protection policies have enabled extremist groups to exploit local frustrations. The article advocates for inclusive approaches, based on nuanced socio-political analyses, to avoid ineffective one-size-fits-all policies. Participatory natural resource management is highlighted as a sustainable solution to mitigate conflicts and prevent terrorism.

Climate change, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Jihad, Political Violence, Human security, Violence, Threat, Knowlege production

This report, authored by Aurélie Campana and published in March 2018 by the Raoul-Dandurand Chair at the Université du Québec à Montréal, explores the resilience of jihadist groups in the Malian conflict since 2015. Despite international and national military efforts, these groups show remarkable adaptability through organizational fluidity and local embeddedness. The document delves into the dynamics of the Malian conflict, highlighting the interplay of local power struggles, intercommunal tensions, and the state's legitimacy crisis. While fragmented, jihadists leverage violence to sustain influence and recruitment, occasionally attempting to position themselves as governance alternatives. The report also examines the complexity of alliances among jihadist groups and raises the question of their potential inclusion in political processes.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Conflict, Jihad, Terrorism, Political Violence, Gold, Violence, Threat

This report, titled "A Pandora's Box: Burkina Faso, Self-Defense Militias, and the VDP Law in the Fight Against Jihadism", authored by Antonin Tisseron and published by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in 2021, examines the role of self-defense groups in Burkina Faso. It explores the rise of Koglweogo militias, Dozo hunters, and Da Nan Ambassagou, along with the establishment of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP). While these groups address gaps in state security, they also present challenges such as escalating intercommunity violence and weakening the state’s monopoly on legitimate violence. The author stresses that the 2020 VDP law, although strategic, requires stronger implementation to prevent abuses and ensure lasting social cohesion.

State, Natural ressources, Security, Justice, Political Violence, Gold, Military activity, Human security, Violence, Threat

The article “Security from Below: Citizen Perceptions and Perspectives on Security Challenges in Burkina Faso”, authored by Sylvie Ayimpam, examines citizens' perceptions of insecurity in Burkina Faso. Instead of focusing on institutional approaches, the article highlights local experiences in rural and urban communities. The fall of Blaise Compaoré’s regime marked the beginning of greater instability, including terrorism, economic violence, and widespread banditry. Citizen initiatives, such as self-defense groups, have emerged as a response to the perceived ineffectiveness of security forces. Women also play an active role despite being particularly vulnerable. The article underscores the resilience of communities in the face of multiple crises while critiquing the lack of a robust conceptual framework to analyze insecurity.

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

The article "War in the Sahel: Is Peace Impossible?" by Rodrigue Nana Ngassam, published in Diplomatie (March-April 2024), examines the critical security situation in the Sahel. Since 2012, the region has faced escalating violence driven by Islamist terrorism, military coups, and ineffective international intervention. Sahelian states, weakened by poor governance and internal conflicts, struggle to maintain authority over their territories. Russia, through the Wagner Group, has increased its presence, fueling anti-Western sentiment and intensifying tensions. The article emphasizes the need for solutions tailored to local realities to break the cycle of violence, avoiding the simple replacement of one foreign power with another. The author advocates for a rethinking of security approaches that integrate African perspectives and credible international cooperation.

Politics, Political party, State, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Gold, Violence, Threat

This article examines the intersection of jihadi governance and gender practices in the Sahel. It explores how jihadist groups, affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, manipulate gender relations to gain local support. By blending continuity and disruption with traditional social practices, these groups leverage gender roles in Fulani communities in the Liptako-Gourma region (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso). Using ethnographic methodology and interviews, the authors analyze how jihadist governance adapts marriage norms, domestic roles, and dress codes. They conclude that the integration of these groups into the social fabric relies on their ability to reproduce or reshape existing gender practices.

Gender, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Education, Human security, Violence, Threat, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production

This article investigates the violence experienced by female artisanal miners in Yagha Province, Burkina Faso, between 2003 and 2015. Using a qualitative approach (interviews and document analysis), the study identifies two main types of violence: physical and moral (body searches, sexual harassment) and economic (mineral confiscation, imposed prices). Findings reveal that privatization and weak regulation of the mining sector facilitate these abuses, worsening the precariousness of female miners and their economic exclusion. In response, women have engaged in collective actions to confront these injustices. The article calls for inclusive policies that consider their experiences to foster socially sustainable artisanal mining practices.

Politics, Political party, Gender, Natural ressources, Justice, Political Violence, Gold, Social, Violence, Threat

This book delves into the insecurities and violence in the Lake Chad Basin, exploring historical, social, and political dimensions. Focusing on five key countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Chad), it examines the effects of conflicts such as those driven by Boko Haram and intercommunal tensions on local societies. Through interdisciplinary studies, it highlights the diversity of insecurities, ranging from daily violence to armed conflicts, while analyzing their economic, political, and environmental causes. The book also discusses strategies to combat these insecurities, whether military, political, or development-based. It provides an in-depth understanding of local dynamics and the lived experiences of affected populations, linking these phenomena to broader global issues.

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

The International Crisis Group’s article “Cameroon: Reexamining the ‘Special Status’ of the Anglophone Regions” analyses the ineffectiveness of the special status granted in 2019 to the Anglophone regions of the North-West and South-West of Cameroon in resolving the separatist crisis. This status, supposed to offer increased autonomy, was implemented unilaterally by the central government, without thorough consultation with local populations, leading to limited implementation and persistent control by Yaoundé. The article recommends reforming this special status by adopting an inclusive and consensual approach, involving local actors and civil society groups, in order to better respond to the aspirations of the Anglophone populations and foster sustainable peace.

Local Power, Governance, Security, Peace, Crisis management, Political Violence