Strategic Reorientation

The Sahel is undergoing a profound geopolitical shift. Nils A. Neubert examines how the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has broken from Western security partners, turning instead to Russia and Turkey. While the AES’s joint military force improves operational flexibility, authoritarian counterterrorism and ethnic militias risk fueling jihadist recruitment. Without political inclusion and sustainable governance, Neubert argues, lasting stability remains elusive.