In their words: Mapping Sahel security threats

The ISS’ work has far-reaching policy impact says Pierre Buyoya, Head of the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel.

Published on 17 February 2016 in Impact

In November 2013, Sahel-Saharan ministers, the African Union (AU) and other regional and international organisations established a ministerial platform to coordinate strategies that address the complex political, security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel.

Its technical secretariat, chaired by the AU and UN, asked the ISS, European Centre for Development Policy Management and African Governance Institute to analyse the different Sahel strategies of organisations ranging from the African Development Bank, Economic Community of West African States and AU to the World Bank, EU and UN.

Their research identified gaps and overlaps in approaches to the Sahel’s security threats, and found the strategies had a similar focus on resilience, development, infrastructure, governance and education.

‘The work of the ISS and its partners means that for the first time, we have a clear high-level view and understanding of different approaches to the Sahel and their implementation capacities,’ says Pierre Buyoya, Head of the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel.

Buyoya says the study is important because the nature of the crisis in the Sahel calls for clarity and precision. ‘The work has far-reaching policy impact. We can’t afford to be competing or squandering development and security resources. Governments, NGOs and regional or international organisations can now better coordinate their responses.’

	The work of the ISS and its partners means that for the first time, we have a clear high-level understanding of different approaches to the Sahel. The work has far-reaching policy impact.
	– Pierre Buyoya, Head of the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel