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NATO`s Regional Challenges: SAHEL
History of the Sahel In: Janos Besenyö (Ed.) : NATO’s Regional Challenges - Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Sahel
2025, NATO CoE-DAT (Centre of Excellence - Defence Against Terrorism), Ankara
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The Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) is pleased to present this book on the topic of NATO’s Regional Challenges: Terrorism and Counter- Terrorism in Sahel.
Many political analysts have been forecasting inevitable conflicts driven by the different challenges characterized by regions where the Alliance might have to deal with the situation that no other power can or wish to handle singlehandedly. Amongst these geographically determined areas stand out a vast part of Africa, that is facing great problems generated by climate change, overpopulation, social discrepancies, ideological differences, poverty and armed conflicts including terrorism. This area includes countries like Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria or on commonly understood as the SAHEL region.
Amongst many international and national efforts to support better security and well-being of the people living in the vast dry land also NATO planners are monitoring closely their strategic southern flank in order to be prepared to conduct wide range of activities. One of these is supporting counter-terrorism with the toolset that only the Alliance has. To be prepared includes updated Situational Awareness or better to say, Situational Understanding.
In order to support planners, decision-makers or troops of NATO to be deployed to the region COE DAT launched a research project having a large sum of well-known SMEs from around the world. The research aimed for providing an appreciation of the area discussing geography, history, culture and also addressing the challenges that affect the everyday life of the people who must face with them. The focus is directed on the evolving terrorism and its direction with the aim of finding answers and recommendations to the Alliance to counter it as this book concludes.
Preface ....................................................................................................................5
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................6
Disclaimer .............................................................................................................. 7
Contributors ............................................................................................................ 8
PART I: Regional overview
Chapter 1: Geography of the Sahel
by Péter Miletics...................................................................................................... 23
Chapter 2: HISTORY OF THE SAHEL
by ANDRAS TÜRKE...................................................................................................... 47
Chapter 3: Economy of the Sahel: Challenges, Opportunities, and Geopolitical Tensions
by Animesh Roul ..................................................................................................... 65
PART II: Global and national relationships with the region
Chapter 4: European Union and the Sahel
by Mariann Tánczos and Katalin Horváth................................................................ 91
Chapter 5: NATO’s Role in the Sahel: Projecting Stability
by Csiki Varga Tamás.............................................................................................. 109
Chapter 6: The African Union and the Sahel
by Buyisile Ntaka..................................................................................................... 129
Chapter 7: United States and the Sahel
by Tibor Pintér ......................................................................................................... 147
Chapter 8: China and the Sahel
by Zoltán Vörös and Jean-Pierre Cabestan ............................................................ 167
Chapter 9: Russia and the Sahel
by János Besenyő and Zsolt Szabó ........................................................................ 187
Chapter 10: Türkiye’s Growing Footprint in the Sahel
by Elem Eyrice Tepeciklioğlu and Ali Onur Tepeciklioğlu ........................................ 209
Chapter 11: Iran in the sahel: strategic calculations and geopolitical maneuvers in the shadows
by Nail ELHAN ........................................................................................................ 233
PART III: Regional security challenges
Chapter 12: Sahel and security: situational overview and challenges ahead
by Dávid Vogel ........................................................................................................ 251
Chapter 13: Coups, fragility, and instability in the Sahel: Rethinking state weakness and military rule
by Scott N. Romaniuk and László Csicsmann......................................................... 287
Chapter 14: Sahel and water security
by Viktor Glied and Attila Pánovics.......................................................................... 321
Chapter 15: Food safety and security in the Sahel
by Péter Gergely Juhász and Szilvia Juhászné Veress........................................... 343
Chapter 16: Terrorist and counter-terrorist activities in the Sahel
by Pieter Van Ostaeyen........................................................................................... 363
Chapter 17: The Sahel: Migration, Displacement and Refugee Crisis
by Adeyemi Saheed Badewa .................................................................................. 385
Chapter 18: Religious dynamics: Christian-Muslim relations and the future of
coexistence in the Sahel region
by László Csicsmann .............................................................................................. 405
Chapter 19: Management of Humanitarian Operations and Situation in Sahel by applying resilience-based methods in relation to human trafficking
by János Besenyő and Krisztina Kállai.................................................................... 421
Chapter 20: The Chad Humanitarian and Forced Migration Situation: a Hungarian
experience
by Béla Szilagyi....................................................................................................... 439
Chapter 21: Improvised Explosive Devices and the threat they pose in the Sahel and beyond
by Norbert Daruka and László Lukács .................................................................... 461
Conclusions
by János Besenyő ................................................................................................... 477
