Russia’s hybrid war in Africa
Mark Leonard welcomes Will Brown and Beverly Ochieng to discuss what Russia’s growing influence in the Sahel means for Europe
Burkina Faso
The bear and the bot farm: Countering Russian hybrid warfare in Africa
Russia has many quiet enemies in Africa. Working together, like-minded Africans and Europeans can roll back its troublesome influence
Africa
How Europeans can help stabilise the Sahel
A decade of military, humanitarian, and developmental European interventions in the Sahelian states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have failed comprehensively. Yet, European governments must accept that engagement, however ugly, is their only hope of advancing their strategic priority of a stable Sahel region. In this event, ECFR Africa reflects on recent developments…
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
Beyond sanctions: How west Africa can recommit to democracy
The Economic Community of West African States should ensure that its sanctions on Mali do not harm ordinary citizens – and that it lifts them if the country’s military junta supports a democratic transition
In the media
The militant groups in Burkina Faso are divided between those that are affiliated with al-Qaida and the fighters that are affiliated with the Islamic State
Andrew Lebovich is a guest on the Global Dispatches Podcast to speak about the coup in Burkina Faso
The difficulties Europe and in particular France have faced in reining in jihadist groups in the Sahel has provided an opportunity for Russia to expand its security cooperation, particularly in Mali