On June 18 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will present a Valdai Paper titled “The Sahara-Sahel Region: In Search of a New Security Architecture Amid the Collapse of the Neo-Colonial System.”
Coordinated attacks by jihadists and separatist rebels on cities in Mali in late April have underscored the continued instability in West Africa. The authors of the Valdai Paper examine responses to regional security challenges by Sahel states and external actors, and explore opportunities for coordination.
In recent decades, the security architecture of the Sahara-Sahel region relied primarily on French influence. By the early 2020s, however, this neo-colonial model had exhausted itself, proving unable to counter jihadist and other threats. Following coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, forces rejecting French influence came to power. To counter both external intervention and jihadist attacks, these three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), a military alliance, which later evolved into the political and economic Confederation of Sahel States (CSS). Thus, a new regional security framework has emerged.
At present, the Sahara-Sahel security system is in a transitional phase. On one hand, the former colonial powers—notably France—are reducing their military and political presence. On the other, new regional formats are only beginning to take shape, and their prospects remain uncertain. This situation opens the door for other external players to expand their influence, with Russia, China, and Turkey holding the strongest positions.
What can the Sahel states do to strengthen regional security? How can Russia, China, and Turkey play a constructive role? What are the prospects for cooperation and competition among external actors in the Sahara-Sahel region? The authors of the Paper and the discussion participants will attempt to answer these and other questions.
Speakers:
- Aleksei Chikhachev, Associate Professor at the Department of European Studies, School of International Relations of Saint Petersburg State University, Leading Expert at the Center for Strategic Studies, Institute of Foreign Economic Relations, National Research University Higher School of Economics
- Jafar Geletu, Executive Director of the Institute of International Relations at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Alena Lisenkova, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University
- Mateo Rojas Samper, PhD student, MGIMO University
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English
Information for the media: In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our website. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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