Geopolitical analysis of insecurity in the Sahel (Burkina-Mali-Niger)

The security situation in the Sahel, particularly in the tri-border area (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), is the result of several geopolitical factors. Since the Algerian civil war and despite the Barkhane and Takuba operations in support of the national armed forces of the three states, the Liptako Gourma has become a refuge for armed terrorist groups. The Arab Spring, which led to the destabilization of the Maghreb through the fall of the regimes in Libya and Tunisia, brought thousands of fighters to the Sahel. These fighters, who came with an arsenal of weapons looted from Libyan barracks, will support the armed wing of the MNLA in a secessionist conflict. Dormant cells of Algerian Islamist organizations that had taken refuge in northern Mali seized this opportunity to become active again. This alliance between MNLA militants, Algerian Islamist groups and fighters from Libya led to the territorial occupation of the Liptako by these terrorist groups. The struggle to secure the area leads states to make strategic choices, placing the region at the heart of international rivalries.