The Sahel

The Sahel is an African region stretching from Mauritania on the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea. Due to its arid climate, the region often suffers from droughts and is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to climate change. The Sahel is further plagued by political instability due to inter-communal conflicts and the presence of terrorist groups, but recent years have seen mass protests and regional interventions bring some positive developments to the region.

Content

French Rafale jet, March 17, 2013

NATOSource

Oct 6, 2015

Letter from Strasbourg (Part One): French Defense Priorities and Capabilities

By Leo Michel

NATO is past the half-way mark between last September’s Wales Summit and the Warsaw Summit planned for next July. So it is not too soon to ask how Allies are responding to the strategic, capability, and other challenges identified in Wales.

France Iraq

AfricaSource

Aug 11, 2015

Why Lake Chad matters: Tackling climate change, development, and security

By Abdoul Salam Bello

Lake Chad is shrinking In recent years, we have witnessed the dramatic rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria and its expansion into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. In addition to sharing borders, these four countries have another valuable asset in common: Lake Chad. The resource remains the primary source of freshwater for irrigation projects in […]

Africa Climate Change & Climate Action

In the News

Aug 7, 2015

Atallah on Hotel Attack in Mali

By Rudolph Atallah

The Wall Street Journal quotes Africa Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Rudolph Atallah on the terrorist attack on a hotel in Mali, presumably the work of al-Qaeda affiliates, though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack: 

Sahel

Event Recap

Jun 8, 2015

Discussion with new ambassador of Niger

By Africa Center

As a key actor in West Africa and the Sahel, the Republic of Niger faces a number of regional challenges. The country has been impacted by conflicts in neighboring Libya, Mali, and Nigeria. At home, the Nigerien government struggles to bring economic and educational opportunities to the country’s rapidly expanding youth population.   On June […]

Africa North & West Africa

In the News

May 9, 2015

Pham on the New Terror Group in Mali

By J. Peter Pham

International Business Times quotes Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham on the new terror group threatening peace in Mali:

Sahel

Event Recap

May 5, 2015

Northern Mali’s critical moment

By Africa Center

Mali has largely fallen from international headlines after a 2013 French military intervention drove back the constellation of terror groups occupying the northern part of the country, but the security situation has again deteriorated to the point it poses an urgent threat to the whole of the country as well as the region. There are […]

Africa Conflict

Webcasts

Mar 11, 2015

Update on security in Nigeria and the campaign against Boko Haram

By Africa Center

Please join the Africa Center on Wednesday, March 11, for a discussion with Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He will be joined by Rear Admiral Gabriel E. Okoi, Chief of Defence Intelligence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They will provide an update on the […]

Conflict Extremism

AfricaSource

Feb 13, 2015

What Boko Haram’s widening war means for refugees

By Joshua Meservey

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the near- and long-term consequences of the Nigerian refugee crisis as tens of thousands of Nigerians flee across borders from the violence the terrorist group Boko Haram is meting out in the northeastern part of the country. I wrote that the world needs to surge resources into the area […]

Conflict Nigeria

AfricaSource

Feb 3, 2015

Niger’s uprising: symptoms of Nigerien challenges

By Abdoul Salam Bello

Violent riots broke out in Niger last month following the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad on the cover of the French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Ten people were killed and forty-five churches torched by protesters on January 16 and 17. Niger declared three days of mourning. The depiction shocked the majority of Nigeriens, more […]

North & West Africa Politics & Diplomacy
REUTERS/Stringer

AfricaSource

Dec 4, 2014

Boko Haram Q & A

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group that has a foothold in northern Nigeria, has begun to consolidate control over large swathes of territory threatening the stability of Nigeria and its neighbors. The militants have resorted to using female suicide bombers as they ramp up their fight against the Nigerian government ahead of elections in February. […]

Conflict Nigeria
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Experts

Fellow

Abdoul Salam Bello

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Africa Center

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth

Fellow

Rose Keravuori

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Africa Center

Africa Defense Policy

Fellow

Bachir Ismael Ouedraogo

Nonresident Senior Fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Energy & Environment

Fellow

Rama Yade

Senior Director, Africa Center

Africa Center Europe Center

Civil Society Human Rights