The final nail: Niger’s break with the US
Europe’s old Sahel strategy is dead – and Russia is circling over its carcass
Sahel
4 Mar
The aftermath of Yaya Dillo’s death: implications for Chad and Sudan
On 28 February, Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed in a shootout with security forces. He had been accused of leading an attack against…
19 Mar
Sudan crisis: humanitarian response in the lead-up to the Paris Summit
Sudan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Ethnic killing plagues Darfur once again, millions have been displaced, and now a famine is looming. The fighting…
21 Feb
The externalization of Europe’s borders: the only solution?
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
25 Oct
Global Gateway Africa – Geopolitica, investimenti e prospettive per l’Italia
L’evento si concentrerà su come Il settore privato costituisca una componente fondamentale per l’attuazione del Global Gateway e sulle opportunità che questo può rappresentare
Middle powers, big impact: Africa’s ‘coup belt,’ Russia, and the waning global order
The changing global order has created an enabling environment for the recent spike of takeovers in Africa’s ‘coup belt’ – with Russia and newly assertive middle powers offering themselves as partners to putschists
The roots of peace: Why Europeans should help re-establish support for local dialogue in the Sahel
It is necessary to move beyond overly militarised strategies for stabilisation in the Sahel. Local dialogue initiatives can address the roots of conflict – but require consistent buy-in from national governments
2 Dec
Sahel-North Africa-Europe: Addressing the vertical pathway of instability
A panel discussion organized in collaboration with the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in the framework of the 8th edition of the Rome MED – Mediterranean Dialogues, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Lone changer: Germany, Mali, and Russian influence in Africa’s arc of instability
Russia is exploiting weaknesses in Europe’s relationships with states across Africa. Germany will need to set a precedent in Mali if it is to respond to this challenge effectively
Russia’s long shadow in the Sahel
The EU’s values-led foreign policy and its stabilisation objectives in the Sahel are in tension with each other. Russia is now waiting to exploit that tension
Articles
The final nail: Niger’s break with the US
Europe’s old Sahel strategy is dead – and Russia is circling over its carcass
Middle powers, big impact: Africa’s ‘coup belt,’ Russia, and the waning global order
The changing global order has created an enabling environment for the recent spike of takeovers in Africa’s ‘coup belt’ – with Russia and newly assertive middle powers offering themselves as partners to putschists
The roots of peace: Why Europeans should help re-establish support for local dialogue in the Sahel
It is necessary to move beyond overly militarised strategies for stabilisation in the Sahel. Local dialogue initiatives can address the roots of conflict – but require consistent buy-in from national governments
Lone changer: Germany, Mali, and Russian influence in Africa’s arc of instability
Russia is exploiting weaknesses in Europe’s relationships with states across Africa. Germany will need to set a precedent in Mali if it is to respond to this challenge effectively
Russia’s long shadow in the Sahel
The EU’s values-led foreign policy and its stabilisation objectives in the Sahel are in tension with each other. Russia is now waiting to exploit that tension
Russia, Wagner Group, and Mali: How European fears weaken European policy
Europeans reacted sharply to the news of Wagner Group’s interest in Mali – and interviews suggest the company has been present in the country. But European states and the EU remain the dominant security and development player in the Sahel
Sudan coup attempt: How Europe can defend Sudan’s transition to democracy
Sudan’s civilian protest movement is fighting for democracy. Europe can play a decisive role, but to do so its condemnation must come with consequences
After Barkhane: What France’s military drawdown means for the Sahel
Emmanuel Macron took allies by surprise when he announced the end of Operation Barkhane. But his new plans do not appear to offer the change of tack the Sahel needs
How France and the US can work to stabilise the Sahel
After the indifference of the Trump years, the Biden administration should broaden and deepen its cooperation with France in the Sahel
Why the Western Sahara dispute could escalate conflicts across North Africa and the Sahel
Fighters across the region may be drawn in if the violence continues, as has happened for years in Libya’s cascading internal and proxy wars
Podcasts
The EU and France in the Sahel
What does the end of Operation Barkhane in its current form mean for the Sahel?
Events
19 Mar
Sudan crisis: humanitarian response in the lead-up to the Paris Summit
Sudan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Ethnic killing plagues Darfur once again, millions have been displaced, and now a famine is looming. The fighting…
4 Mar
The aftermath of Yaya Dillo’s death: implications for Chad and Sudan
On 28 February, Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed in a shootout with security forces. He had been accused of leading an attack against…
21 Feb
The externalization of Europe’s borders: the only solution?
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
25 Oct
Global Gateway Africa – Geopolitica, investimenti e prospettive per l’Italia
L’evento si concentrerà su come Il settore privato costituisca una componente fondamentale per l’attuazione del Global Gateway e sulle opportunità che questo può rappresentare
2 Dec
Sahel-North Africa-Europe: Addressing the vertical pathway of instability
A panel discussion organized in collaboration with the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in the framework of the 8th edition of the Rome MED – Mediterranean Dialogues, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
15 Feb
What way forward for Europe in the Sahel?
The European Council on Foreign Relations is delighted to invite you to our webinar on what the latest developments mean for Europe’s engagement in the Sahel.
3 May
Rebalancing security and governance in the Sahel: Possible avenues for German intervention
This event is part of the German Forum on Security Policy #DFS2021
In the media
Niger’s announcement leaves a gaping hole in U.S. operational capacity in Africa
Will Brown analyses the implications of Niger revoking its agreement with the Pentagon for a US military base
The Mattei Plan is valid. The right-sizing of expectations allows Rome’s project to be represented as feasible
We are not planning to change the fate of relations between Europe and Africa, but we are offering something concrete
It would be foolish to think we can compete with China, the United Arab Emirates or even Turkey. To be meaningful, the Mattei Plan will have to fit into a broader framework of EU initiatives
Contrary to how it may appear to many, not least in the US, the new cold war seems to be based not on the old logic of polarization, but on a new logic of fragmentation
Following the latest BRICS Summit, Mark Leonard writes about the evolving nature of the international order