Self-defence groups as a response to crime and conflict in West Africa

This report examines the proliferation of self-defence groups in West Africa, analyzing their role as sources of community resilience and their potential to create political and security risks. It aims to provide a framework for mitigating these risks and leveraging the benefits of such groups based on cross-continental experiences.

• Self-defence groups have become widespread across West Africa and are viewed as providing resilience for local communities, although they simultaneously create significant security and political challenges.
• The report seeks to establish a more effective framework to manage self-defence groups by drawing on lessons from experiences across different continents.

APA

Grandmaison, R. L. C., Berger, F., Madueke, K., de Lugo, L. B. R. B., & Tagziria, L. (n.d.). Self-defence groups as a response to crime and conflict in West Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/books-and-other-publications/self-defence-groups-as-a-response-to-crime-and-conflict-in-west-africa

Chicago

Grandmaison, Romain Le Cour, Flore Berger, Kingsley Madueke, Lucia Bird Ruiz Benitez de Lugo, and Lyes Tagziria. Self-defence groups as a response to crime and conflict in West Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/books-and-other-publications/self-defence-groups-as-a-response-to-crime-and-conflict-in-west-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grandmaison |first1=Romain Le Cour |last2=Berger |first2=Flore |last3=Madueke |first3=Kingsley |last4=de Lugo |first4=Lucia Bird Ruiz Benitez |last5=Tagziria |first5=Lyes |title=Self-defence groups as a response to crime and conflict in West Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/books-and-other-publications/self-defence-groups-as-a-response-to-crime-and-conflict-in-west-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grandmaisonndselfdefence, author = {Grandmaison, Romain Le Cour and Berger, Flore and Madueke, Kingsley and de Lugo, Lucia Bird Ruiz Benitez and Tagziria, Lyes}, title = {{Self-defence groups as a response to crime and conflict in West Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/books-and-other-publications/self-defence-groups-as-a-response-to-crime-and-conflict-in-west-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }