Sub Saharan Africa, specifically the Sahel has become the epicentre of global terrorism, surpassing the Middle East. Notably, Burkina Faso now ranks first on the Global Terrorism Index, underscoring the region’s escalating security challenges. Keri Leicher, Group Head of Security Information Services at Castor Vali, joined Clarence Ford on Views and News to discuss this trend and its implications.
The Global Terrorism Index reveals that while global terrorism incidents have decreased, fatalities have risen, highlighting increasingly deadly attacks. Keri provided insights into the dynamics driving this threat in West Africa specifically, and its impact on the region.
Key Areas Covered in the Discussion:
- The Sahel Region: Its geography, demographics, and key players.
- Militant Groups: The history of and motivations of key global terrorist organisations, including Islamic State and al Qaeda, and their presence in the Sahel/wider Africa.
- Recent Coups: Political instability in nations in the Sahel and its potential to create security vacuums, enabling such groups to gain influence.
- Raw Material Exploitation: How the region’s natural resources attract state and non-state actors, potentially fuelling political and economic instability.
- Role of External Powers: The involvement of external players, including Russia, China, the US, European countries and the UN, and its impact on security dynamics in the Sahel.
- Regional Responses: Efforts by ECOWAS other regional groupings to counter terrorism and address its spillover effects, despite resource and coordination challenges.
- Ungoverned Spaces: Whether these areas provide fertile ground for extremist groups.
Listen Here:
Tune in to the radio broadcast for a deep dive into the Sahel.
Castor Vali Support
To support our clients in tracking, forecasting, and mitigating the risks in the Sahel region, Castor Vali has developed a variety of tools, including intelligence subscription packages and in-house training.
To read more about our products and services see our Africa Security Information Service.
We also encourage our clients to test our services and offer free trials to interested clients at any time. Please complete the form below to access these reports:
Security Information Service Trial
Clients interested in trailing our subscription packages should complete this form:
