INSECURITY AND INSTABILITY IN AFRICA: ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REGIONAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN THE SAHEL

Abstract

Following the increase of transnational threats in the Sahel and even further in the Maghreb, the regional security cooperation’s ability to tackle these threats and their root causes is predicated on certain conditions. These basic conditions include regional countries’ shared perception of the threats, development of a comprehensive geographic Sahel–Maghreb approach with the support of external partners and international community, and proper balance between security, development, and governance. The transnational nature of threats and their interconnections characterize these unprecedented security challenges. Lessons learned from successful and failed attempts at regional security cooperation as well as the U.S.-led initiatives and an analysis of the United States, European Union, and African Union strategy for the Sahel reveal significant findings, ranging from the global awareness of the deteriorating security environment and the need for collective action, to the need to overcome regional rivalries and adopt a less military-centric approach. The overall end state remains the framing of a suitable and workable regional cooperation beyond security that contributes to regional and global security and stability and prosperity in both the Sahel and the Maghreb.