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

This article addresses the challenges of Education in Emergency Situations (EiE) in the Sahel, a region plagued by security, climate, and economic crises. It offers five operational recommendations to enhance the educational response, including investments in coordination, data collection, decentralized education funding, and community mobilization. The study highlights the need for tailored educational alternatives and more effective financing mechanisms to address current shortcomings. The authors emphasize the importance of an inclusive and sustainable approach to ensure educational continuity in the face of chronic crises.

Economic Development, Natural ressources, Security, Education, Development, Family, Gold, Vulnerability, Threat, Crisis

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 synthesis examines artisanal and semi-industrial gold mining in the former G5 Sahel countries (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad) and Senegal, focusing on the Liptako-Gourma region. The study highlights the economic impact of this activity on local populations and the challenges related to its regulation, particularly the involvement of non-state armed groups. While artisanal gold mining creates employment opportunities and contributes to economic development, it also generates significant environmental and health issues, notably due to the use of toxic substances like mercury. The report calls for coordinated governance and strengthened regulation to transform this activity into a lever for sustainable development and regional stability.

State, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Development, Gold, Human security, Threat, Knowlege production

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 examines the geopolitical dynamics of the Sahel and the Sahara, focusing on crises and resilience mechanisms. The author discusses conflicts such as the Libyan civil war, Mali’s fragmentation, and the rise of jihadists. The region is also shaped by the growth of trans-Saharan trafficking (drugs, weapons, migrants) and gold rushes. Sahelian states struggle to ensure stability due to weak institutions, exacerbated by international interventions. However, local populations demonstrate resilience by adapting to harsh environments, particularly through gold mining and informal trade. The article highlights the interplay between crises and adaptability, while questioning the effectiveness of international solutions.

Politics, Political party, Power, State, Natural ressources, Conflict, Jihad, Terrorism, Gold, Threat

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