03/07 • THE SAHEL

The Sahel is a vast, arid region stretching across West Africa from Senegal to Sudan. It has long struggled with drought, poverty, and fragile governance. Since Mali’s 2012 coup and the collapse of Libya’s border security, extremist groups have spread across wide areas of the Sahel. Ethnic tensions, climate shocks, and weak government presence have created fertile ground for violence to take hold.

Today, more than 29 million people in the region require urgent humanitarian assistance, with 52 million facing food insecurity. It's a crisis intensified by conflict, displacement, and blocked access to aid.

The situation continues to get worse in 2025. In recent weeks, al-Qaida-affiliated JNIM has launched coordinated attacks on Malian army bases near the Senegal border, capturing towns and asserting control over roads and services. Islamic State–Sahel Province has also stepped up deadly ambushes, and Burkina Faso’s provincial capital Djibo was briefly overrun by militants.

There are also geopolitical implications in the area. With UN and French peacekeepers withdrawing from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger , regional juntas have turned to Russia for military support. In April 2025, Russia pledged to back a new joint Sahel force with equipment and training, including Africa Corps paramilitary units. Moscow has also committed to expanding defence and “sensitive security” ties across the region.

Despite this scale, global attention remains limited. Most of the violence happens far from major cities or international interests, in places where journalists and aid workers cannot safely travel.