On May 13, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) New York Office and the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) gathered diverse stakeholders for an expert discussion on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism in West Africa: What Options Are Left? with Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of CEP, and Ulf Laessing, Head of the KAS Regional Programme Sahel.
West Africa faces a continued and worsening rise in terrorist and violent extremist activity by al-Qaeda- and Islamic State (IS)-affiliated groups, amid numerous challenges to its security and stability. The Sahel alone accounted for just over half of all terrorism-related deaths last year, now constituting the global epicenter of terrorism.
At the same time, political upheaval and shifting geopolitical dynamics are also shaping the West African security landscape and how countries address the evolving terrorist threat in the region. A wave of military coups and growing anti-Western sentiment has led to the ousting of traditional security allies from several Sahelian states. Meanwhile, regional counterterrorism responses by the G-5 Sahel and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have been significantly weakened following the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from these bodies, while others like the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States have yet to prove their effectiveness.
In light of these complex and complicated dynamics, participants discussed:
- The need for a reset in the West’s engagement: A history of failed international interventions in the region and growing anti-Western sentiment necessitates a strategic recalibration. While options remain limited, some avenues for constructive engagement include investing in those West African states open to counterterrorism cooperation and designing security initiatives to be locally-driven and locally-owned.
- The importance of addressing the root causes of instability: Terrorist networks have been able to exploit weak governance, socio-economic grievances, and inter-ethnic tensions that were long neglected by former West African regimes. Countering the terrorist threat in West Africa will require balancing military methods with politically- and development-focused approaches.
- The dangerous nexus between terrorism and organized crime: West Africa serves as the main transit hub for drug trafficking from South America to Europe—a significant source of income for terrorist groups—and site from which organized crime groups carry out money laundering activities. The southward expansion of jihadist groups to West Africa’s coastal states poses additional security concerns about their access to ports.