Out of the security deadlock: challenges and choices in the Sahel

The project focused on the governance of security sector reform (SSR) in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and on its interlinkages with other regional security processes. The analysis of governance connected to SSR also included its links with disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of violent extremists and militias, a pivotal issue in the region. The research placed particular emphasis on the role of the European Union and of other international actors in the region such as the United States, Gulf Countries, and China. Furthermore, the research scrutinized the impact and interaction with local actors in particular by the EU, such as diplomatic actions, development and peacebuilding projects, and security training and mentoring of local forces. Finally, the project also considered the connections between SSR and stabilisation, militarisation and the trend towards self-policing.
Against this backdrop, the project was guided by the following research questions:

• How to promote sustainable peace and security in the Sahel?
• How to implement an inclusive and shared SSR?
• How to implement DDR in relation to de-radicalization?
• What role for the EU in the region as a peace and security partner?
   

Funding:  Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), NDI, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), Compagnia di San Paolo.