Vested interests: On December 22 last year, the last French troops withdrew from Niger, ending more than a decade of French anti-jihadist operations in West Africa's Sahel region. Photo: Boureima Hama/AFP
TThe 3,860 km wide Sahel region, located south of the Sahara Desert and extending from east to west across the African continent, has been attracting attention around the world in recent years.
Over the past decade, problems such as terrorism, insecurity, and human trafficking have characterized the region.
Military takeovers have been a major concern in the region and beyond in recent years. Since 2020, there have been four successful coups and three failed coups in the region.
The coup in Niger attracted particular attention. This was because Niger was the “darling of the West'' and was seen as a model for democratic governance in the region.
Despite the challenges facing the region, the Sahel remains highly contested.
The main players in this contest are the European Union, France, Russia, China, and the United States.
The EU relies on Sahel countries, particularly Niger, to stop mass illegal migration into the region. Niger is a major transit country in the region. Until recently, Niger had a security and defense cooperation relationship with the EU, but the country unilaterally canceled the agreement. This is a cause for concern for the EU.
Why are these foreign powers interested in the Sahel?
As an international relations scholar who has studied this region for over 10 years, I think the main reasons are as follows.
- Availability of natural resources.
- The region's strategic location in Africa.
- Economic interests of countries participating in the scramble.and
- Defense and security cooperation in the form of arms sales.
Foreign powers have reasons to join the fight for the Sahel.
France
Most countries in the Sahel region were colonized by France. Unlike Britain, France has maintained strong ties with its former colonies. They cooperate in areas such as economy, defense, and resource extraction, to name a few areas.
France has the first right to purchase natural resources discovered in all former colonies. Although relations between France and its former colonies appeared to be cordial, recent coups in French-speaking countries and anti-French sentiment across Africa have revealed the opposite.
The coup was followed by large-scale demonstrations against France and in support of the rebels.
Despite these rifts, France is keen to maintain control over these countries, particularly regarding military cooperation and resource extraction. France has been reluctant to withdraw troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, even though the countries have severed military ties. These countries continue to extract natural resources.
Russia
Russia's relations with many Sahel countries were established during the Cold War and colonial eras. In recent years, Western countries' emphasis on human rights, especially in counterterrorism operations, has brought Sahel countries closer to Russia.
While Western allies demand the rule of law, democracy and human rights in exchange for security and economic aid, Russia sees itself differently. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 also heightened Russia's interest in the Sahel, which is keen to maintain its alliances in Africa.
Russia openly supports military regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso, and has warned against any military intervention in Niger when the military took power. Additionally, the controversial Russian-controlled private military company Wagner Group works with several countries in the Sahel region. Niger canceled its defense agreement with the EU and switched to Russia. All these factors explain Russia's interest in the Sahel.
China
Like Russia, China presents itself as an alternative to the Sahel's traditional ally (France). With the motto of “non-interference” and “respect for sovereignty,” China has established itself as a “partner” of the Sahel countries.
The Sahel region is rich in natural resources such as oil, uranium, natural gas, and lithium. Chinese state-owned enterprises operate in Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, for example, potentially has one of the world's largest lithium reserves, and China's Ganfeng Lithium has invested heavily in the country. Furthermore, although China is developing munitions, most of the weapons are untested. China is keen to use conflicts in the Sahel region to test weapons products.
US
In 2019, the United States opened Africa's largest drone base in Agadez Niger. A year earlier, I had written about the security implications of bases in the region.
Unlike France and China, which have extensive economic interests in the Sahel region, the United States has strong military interests. Niger, in particular, is strategically located from where the United States can easily fly surveillance and reconnaissance drones to cover the Sahel, western and central Africa.
As France is being militarily displaced by its former colonies in the region, the United States is trying to fill the void to prevent Russia and China from establishing further military presences.
It took the United States several months to label the military takeover in Niger as a coup d'état, in order to preserve strategic military cooperation and advantages.
2023 has been a particularly difficult year for Sahel countries. The region remains vulnerable, with problems ranging from economic instability to insecurity. Despite instability and fragility, the region remains highly contested, with traditional allies such as France losing the lead and other powers rising to prominence. The Sahel region will continue to be an area to focus on in 2024 and beyond. — This article was first published by conversation
