# Sahel Region
## BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
The Sahel — the semi-arid belt stretching from Senegal to Sudan — has become the primary geopolitical battleground for great power competition in Africa, hybrid warfare by proxy, and the collapse of post-colonial Francophone security architecture. Between 2020 and 2023, a cascade of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expelled French forces, terminated ECOWAS cooperation, and invited [[Wagner Group (Africa Corps)]] and Russian influence in their place. The region now represents a direct test of competing models of security partnership: Western counter-terrorism frameworks vs. Russian mercenary-for-sovereignty exchange.
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## Key States
| Country | Government | Foreign Partner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | CNSP junta (Goïta) | Russia / Africa Corps | Expelled France (2022); left ECOWAS (2024) |
| Burkina Faso | CPJPS junta (Traoré) | Russia / Africa Corps | Expelled French forces; left ECOWAS (2024) |
| Niger | CNSP junta (Tiani) | Russia / Africa Corps | Expelled US + French forces (2024); left ECOWAS |
| Chad | Déby Jr. (transitional) | France (partial) | Complex; France maintains some presence |
| Mauritania | Ghazouani | West-leaning | Relatively stable |
| Senegal | Faye/Sonko coalition | West-leaning | Democratic transition 2024 |
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## Strategic Significance
1. **Great power competition:** Russia's Africa Corps displacement of French Barkhane and US AFRICOM forward presence represents direct geopolitical penetration of a historically Western sphere
2. **Mineral resources:** Niger (uranium — ~7% of global supply; critical for French nuclear power), Mali (gold), Burkina Faso (gold, manganese)
3. **Migration corridors:** Sahel instability drives migration flows toward Mediterranean — direct political leverage over European governments
4. **Jihadist insurgency:** JNIM (al-Qaeda affiliate) and ISGS (Islamic State) continue to hold territory and conduct operations despite (or enabled by) the security vacuum
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## Key Actors
- **Regional:** [[Wagner Group (Africa Corps)]], JNIM, ISGS, ECOWAS
- **External powers:** [[Russian Federation]], [[France]], [[United States Africa Command]], [[China]] (infrastructure)
- **Multilateral:** UN MINUSMA (withdrawn 2023)
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## Key Connections
- [[01 Actors & Entities/12_Non-State_Actors/Wagner Group 🏴☠️]]
- [[02 Concepts & Tactics/Hybrid Warfare]]
- [[02 Concepts & Tactics/Proxy Warfare]]
- [[04 Current Crisis/]]
- [[02 Concepts & Tactics/Great Power Competition]]
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## Sources
1. ACLED — Sahel conflict tracker (2020–2025)
2. ISS Africa — AES Alliance formation analysis
3. Crisis Group — Sahel coup cascade reporting