Counter-terrorism fight in the Sahel region: Is a paradigm shift impending?

The fight against the jihadist-terrorist movement’s progression in western Africa is one of the continent’s most urgent security challenges. The role of international partners in promoting stability in the region thus took centre stage at the 8th International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa held in Dakar at the end of October. The forum’s main takeaway message was a call to strengthen ‘sovereignty’ in security matters. Current peace operations should be re-evaluated to allow local military forces to take leadership in missions against local threats and foreign partners’ military aid should support local solutions for local issues in the background.

The forum took place against the backdrop of the official end of France’s almost decade long anti-jihadist Barkhane Operation in the Sahel region and recent announcement to ‘re-evaluate its strategy on military operations in Africa in cooperation with its partners’. All parties seemingly want to avoid a repetition of the Barkhane Operation, which in the end heightened anti-French sentiment in the region. Future security challenges and military interventions will show whether these plans actually bring about a paradigm shift.

Explore further:

• Macron beendet französische Militär-Mission in Westafrika, Der Standard

• Security Forum Focuses on Stability Challenges in Africa, Voice of America

• Forum de Dakar : l’Afrique face aux défis de stabilité et souveraineté, Le Point