The study “Civil Societies in the Sahel: A Reasoned Mapping” analyzes collective organizational forms across Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. It highlights the diversity of civil society ecosystems rooted in postcolonial histories. These actors go beyond their technical role to challenge state governance and advocate for human rights and social services. The study calls on AFD to revise its support strategy for civil society organizations (CSOs) by emphasizing deeper contextual knowledge, social proximity, funding sustainability, and balanced accountability. It recommends more flexible and long-term funding, grounded in economic and social rights, to strengthen locally rooted capacities in a region facing multiple overlapping crises.

Politics, Social, Medias, Civil Society

In this article, anthropologist Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan argues for a radical reform of national armies in the Sahel, in light of the failure of conventional military responses to jihadist insurgencies in Mali, Burkina Faso, and to a lesser extent, Niger. He criticizes the corruption, inefficiency, and disconnect of national armies, as well as the ineffectiveness of foreign interventions. The author calls for rebuilding armed forces that are protective, community-based, and respectful of human rights, able to establish “liberated zones.” He emphasizes the need to integrate military actions with development initiatives, state reconstruction, and local negotiations. Although imperfect, Niger stands as a potential example of progress. The core proposition lies in building public security with rural populations through a “people’s war” logic against jihadism.

State, Security, Terrorism, Military activity