Following the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the European Union (EU) has witnessed the collapse of several flagship security initiatives in the Sahel, including its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and the EU-supported G5 Sahel framework. This withdrawal has coincided with the growing influence of external actors such as Russia, China and Türkiye, as well as the expansion of violent jihadist and insurgent groups across the region. Focusing on the security and military dimensions of EU engagement, this Focus Paper reviews past EU initiatives in the Sahel and assesses current options for renewed engagement. It argues that unless EU Member States develop a common strategic vision for West Africa, the EU risks further loss of influence, diminished relevance as a partner for African states and the emergence of a persistent geopolitical blind spot on Europe’s southern flank.
The authors provide a critical examination of Belgium’s Integrated Strategy for the Sahel Region in Focus Paper 62.
Research lines: Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa; Europe; Security and defence architecture
Source image : © Belgian Defence (Operation New Nero)
Focus Paper 66
The EU’s Security and Defence Engagement in West Africa: Way Ahead for a Strategic Reset