What the Sahel is Going On?

Photograph: M Hamidou/Reuters

In recent years, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all been subjected to military rule. These three nations have been working in tandem, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in 2023 as a move toward regional unity. The alliance creates a new power within the region, focused on a pan-African belief that glorifies the continent’s strength, without Western intervention and the unity of a shared African identity. In West Africa, a region moving towards economic cooperation and diplomatic progress, the AES has provided serious challenges. Recently, The AES announced their joint withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), reflecting a broader theme of isolation from the global order to consolidate their own ideals of integration. 

All three nations, prior to their coups, possessed a government widely despised for their inability to address jihadist insurgencies plaguing the region. Their weak leadership marked a deterioration of trust evident with Mali President Ibrahim Keita, who was accused of corruption, or Niger’s Mohamed Azoum, who severely mishandled the economy. Notably, these ineffective leaders relied too heavily on foreign guidance, exemplified by Burkina Faso’s previous ruler Paul-Henri Damibia whose continued dependance and blind agreement to foreign demands undermined local native authority. In their places are rulers hellbent on emphasizing a return to sovereignty and populism. 

The first of these nations to undergo a military coup was Mali in 2020, with the army seizing weaponry and control. In 2021 Assimi Goïta assumed power after declaring that the interim president was working to destroy Mali. He cultivated a “strongman” image of going against the politically established elites, which the public desired. A year later in 2022, Burkina Faso experienced an eruption of gunfire near the palace of Paul-Henri Damiba who was detained at a military base. In his place came military general Ibrahim Traore, who has experienced hefty popularity across the continent for his endearing message on African pride, and socio-economic policies that are said to benefit the public. In Niger, former president Mohamed Azoum was under house arrest as Abdourahmane Tchiani rose to power in 2023. Tchini gained huge popularity in Niger during his ascension, working with civil society groups to promise economic control of their resources as well as a resilience program to benefit the common man. 

All three military regimes are united against a common enemy, the West. France, in particular, had previously colonised the Sahel, and continues to exert significant influence through political and economic ties. In each case, the coup deposed a French-backed leader who failed to prioritize internal concerns including economic struggles, corruption, and islamist extremists. Goïta, Traore, and Tchini perceive the French as responsible for their struggles because of the history of colonialism and have therefore begun distancing themselves from ties with France. From 2022 to 2023, French troops withdrew from Mali and Burkina Faso. French embassies and diplomats have been forced to depart from the AES nations with strict guidelines on French media in Mali and Niger. In its place, the AES has turned to China and Russia for political influence, with Russian nuclear power plants in Burkina Faso and a heavy military presence in Mali. China has increased economic ties through new infrastructure and security measures, while portraying themselves as non interfering. Traore has claimed both nations respect himself and his counterparts, a stark contrast to the intervening nature of the West.

In Africa, the AES has prompted further isolation, with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS). ECOWAS, composed of 15 member states, has long served as an integrating force, enabling citizens to live and work within member states while goods travel freely. The reasons presented for leaving concern the lack of security ECOWAS has provided the Sahel states against terrorism, culminating with its poor handling of the coup in Niger. The sanctions and threat of military intervention in Niger has eroded trust that ECOWAS can support the interest of all members. Beneath the outspoken concerns, ECOWAS wanted all three nations to install democracies, a move resisted because it would neuter their power. The withdrawal of a large part of West Africa has marked a crisis as uncertainty regarding future integration of the region grows. The AES will remain a thorn in ECOWAS and the African Union as they attempt to discover new paths for integration while managing uneasy relations.

The next step of the AES’s shift away from the global norm, and by far the most significant, occurred with their withdrawal from the ICC. A joint statement was released announcing their intentions to not recognize the authority of the UN court. All three leaders asserted that the court was incapable of dealing and prosecuting those accused of war crimes, and was instead a form of neocolonial repression. It once again establishes the pan-African belief of self-sovereignty, away from perceived Western influences believed to be the root cause of African struggles. The remarks regarding the ICC’s bias towards more privileged nations echoed previous criticisms from Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Instead, the three states advocated for a form of “indigenous mechanisms” to restore peace and justice.

The withdrawal of Sahel nations comes as no surprise, yet marks an integral point forward. All three leaders since rising to power have been forced to deal with jihadist rebel groups linked to numerous terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. In the midst of the brutal warfare, Human Rights Watch and many advocacy groups have raised concerns about human rights abuses in the region. Military forces in both Burkina Faso and Mali have been accused of committing atrocities and the UN alleges the summary of executions of Malian citizens may count as a war crime. The Sahel exit from the ICC signals a clear distrust of the global oversight that goes beyond their Western skepticism. 

However, it further reiterates the Sahelian commitment to abandon the current integration of the world order. Instead, the Sahel alliance advocates for a different type of integration, one that favors them. The Sahel alliance already has a joint force of around 5,000 men devoted to fighting terrorism as well as issuing the first common passport in 2025. Their “indigenous mechanisms” previously stated have already been at work with the establishment of the Sahelian Criminal and Human Rights Court. At the forefront of this integration is Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore, who envisions a United States of Africa. This united entity would use the same currency, coined “Afro money,” and allow African citizens to travel across the country without a visa. With the cooperation of African states as a single entity to help each other develop, independent of any foreign interference, it represents Traore’s fundamental pan-African principles. The movement has failed to gain significant political support outside the Sahel alliance, as the rest of Africa has remained firm on its original ideas and beliefs on how integration should occur.

Ultimately, the Sahel alliance will become the forefront of the geopolitical struggle in Africa as a stain on the hopes for smooth integration. The Sahel alliance is caught between an urge for self-determination and attempts to integrate within its vision. The Russians and Chinese are soon to develop an even stronger foothold on the continent. EU and US foreign policy have failed in the region due to empty promises with little tangible benefits for the locals, attempting to shape the Sahel through Western ideals. The US and EU have to drastically change their approach in Africa to avoid losing even more of the region. In order to handle the instability of the region, joint effort from the African Union, ECOWAS, the EU, and the UN is needed to promote a policy on reintegration focused on protection while avoiding the perception of neo-imperial control.