This briefing addresses information integrity challenges in West Africa and proposes a context-appropriate policy framework. It reviews international, continental, and regional policy instruments, identifying gaps in digital governance. Aligned with UNESCO’s guidelines, the paper outlines minimum requirements for platform governance, particularly during elections or crises. The framework aims to promote responsible governance, build social cohesion, and safeguard democratic processes. It emphasizes the need to effectively counter misinformation, hate speech, and elevate access to reliable information as a public good. The briefing targets policymakers, regulators, civil society, journalists, and researchers working to protect digital rights and reinforce information integrity across the region.

Governance, Information, Social cohesion, Disinformation

This report examines the evolution of Islamic donors in the Sahel, from their historical roots to their recent strategic shifts. Initially framed by South-South solidarity and the oil shocks of the 1970s, Gulf donors gradually expanded their influence through religious and private aid, notably via Islamic NGOs and non-profit organizations. The study highlights the privatization of aid, the emergence of a “Muslim humanitarianism,” and the growing role of Salafist NGOs in social work, especially in Senegal. These actors, perceived as close to communities, provide assistance considered accessible and effective, while challenging traditional Western cooperation models. Their strategies include delegitimizing classical partners and reshaping local socio-political dynamics. The report concludes that international agencies must adapt, build partnerships with legitimate Islamic actors, and integrate local cultural and religious contexts to enhance peacebuilding and sustainable development in the region.

Politics, Political party, State, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Donor, Gold, Social, Aid, Civil Society

This Policy Brief examines the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger), which faces a “polycrisis” of institutional fragility, violent conflict, and climate change. Although the region contributes only 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is warming faster than the global average, worsening poverty, food insecurity, and competition over scarce resources. Rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization deepen social strains. Conflicts over land and water, combined with weak governance, fuel instability and large-scale displacement. The author highlights the need for sustained, multi-pronged action: strengthening local resilience, involving communities and indigenous groups, improving governance, and ensuring access to climate finance. The Sahel’s future hinges on coordinated approaches that balance development, peacebuilding, and climate adaptation

Migration, Climate change, Peace, Conflict, Crisis, Insécurité, Démographie, Inclusion

This Policy Brief from the Gorée Institute examines the root causes of state fragility in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger) and outlines practical strategies for rebuilding resilient institutions. It highlights the dominance of the executive branch, institutional weaknesses, lack of political legitimacy, social inequalities, climate change, and insecurity as core drivers of collapse. The brief proposes a comprehensive reform agenda focused on democratic governance (institutional balance, judicial independence) and good governance (decentralization, transparency, and poverty reduction). It emphasizes the need for an integrated approach combining institutional reform, inclusive development, regional cooperation, and citizen engagement to restore state legitimacy and stability in the Sahel.

Politics, Political party, Power, Natural ressources, Security, Justice, Gold, Human security, Social, Institution

This April 2025 policy brief by the Gorée Institute, in collaboration with ETTG, explores the deep interconnections between development and security in the Sahel. Based on a workshop held in Gorée, African and European experts emphasized how geopolitical fragmentation, poverty, climate change, and social exclusion fuel instability. The brief criticizes the EU’s approach as being overly driven by its own priorities (energy, migration) and calls for a paradigm shift towards more balanced partnerships. It highlights the need to integrate gender, youth, and local cohesion dimensions, including traditional and religious authorities. The EU is urged to invest in public services, inclusive governance, and sustainable local dialogues rather than relying on militarized approaches. The brief advocates for gradual re-engagement, including with the AES, to address Sahelian challenges in a structural and coordinated manner.

Politics, Political party, State, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Security, Mediation, Development, Gold, Human security

This Policy Brief analyzes how population displacements have accelerated urbanization in secondary cities across the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These cities, already marked by infrastructural shortcomings, face mounting pressure on housing, land use, and basic services. The massive influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) reshapes social dynamics, especially gender roles, with displaced women often becoming heads of households under precarious conditions. “Non-loti” areas—informal settlements—emerge as default reception zones despite lacking infrastructure. Displaced populations are sometimes viewed with suspicion and associated with security threats. The study urges moving beyond institutional categories and quantitative data, advocating for deeper exploration of “practical norms” that govern urban life. It calls for empirical research to guide inclusive urban planning and better integration of displaced communities in fragile Sahelian contexts.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Threat, Urbanisation, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Internally displaced persons

This article examines the effectiveness, attractiveness, and sustainability of social insurance mechanisms in rural Senegal, particularly through mutual health insurance schemes. Although Universal Health Coverage (CMU) relies on these mutual health insurance schemes to provide coverage to vulnerable populations, several obstacles hinder their success: difficulties in collecting contributions, delays in government payments, and heavy administrative burdens. The study aims to identify the determining factors of their operation and to explore the expansion of services to other risks (disability, death, retirement). A mixed survey was conducted, involving 1,565 participants. The results show that membership is based on financial and health motivations, but that the viability of mutual health insurance schemes requires better governance and diversified financing. Recommendations are made to improve their effectiveness and attractiveness.

Politics, Political party, Power, State, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Social, Health, Knowlege production

This Policy Brief, written by Abdoul Sogodogo, analyzes the relationship between the Alliance of Sahel States (ESA) and ECOWAS. It highlights the tensions between these entities, emphasizing the perception of the ESA as a response to ECOWAS's perceived ineffectiveness in security matters. The author explores the history of subregional organizations and the motivations of Sahel states to create a specific alliance, particularly in the face of the terrorist threat. The document also discusses the security, diplomatic, and economic implications of this separation, while examining the prospects for collaboration. Although the exit of the ESA countries from ECOWAS seems inevitable, economic and security interdependence requires cooperation. The brief concludes that ECOWAS and the ESA must find collaborative mechanisms to ensure regional stability.

Politics, Political party, Power, State, Natural ressources, Security, Justice, Gold, Human security, Cooperation

The article entitled “The G5 Sahel is dead, long live the Sahelo-Atlantic G7: securing development to develop security”, written by Abdelhak Bassou and published on February 6, 2025 by the Policy Center for the New South, analyzes the dissolution of the G5 Sahel and proposes the creation of a G7 Sahelo-Atlantic alliance to strengthen security and development in the region. The G5 Sahel, formed in 2014 by Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, aimed to fight terrorism and promote development. However, successive coups and political differences led to the withdrawal of several members, leading to the paralysis of the organization. To remedy this situation, the author proposes forming a Sahelo-Atlantic G7 alliance which would include the initial G5 countries, Morocco and Senegal. This new alliance would aim to combine security efforts with economic development initiatives, leveraging access to the Atlantic Ocean to facilitate trade and strengthen regional cooperation.

Governance, Security, Coopération régionale