Sahel strategies: why coordination is imperative

The document examines the diverse range of 'Sahel strategies' produced by multilateral actors, noting a general consensus on objectives—security, development, governance, and education—but significant variations in geographical scope and implementation capacity. It highlights that while some organisations possess substantial internal funding, others rely on external contributions, creating a risk that more powerful actors may dominate the region. The brief emphasizes the need for detailed action plans and transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to avoid redundancy and ensure that interventions meet the needs of populations in core countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

• There is no single, internationally accepted definition of the 'Sahel' or 'Sahel-Saharan' region, with different organisations defining the area based on their own interests and needs. However, five countries are central to nearly all analysed strategies: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
• Multilateral strategies for the region generally focus on four primary implementation sectors: security, development and resilience (including infrastructure), governance, and education. These fields are often viewed as inseparable due to the multi-dimensional nature of the region's challenges.
• A significant disparity exists between strategies with sufficient internal resources—such as those of the World Bank, EU, AfDB, and IDB—and those dependent on external financing, such as the UN, AU, and ECOWAS. This imbalance may lead to competition for resources and influence, potentially allowing more powerful actors to dominate the region.
• Most strategic documents lack specific monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that address public accountability, with the exception of the AU and ECOWAS. The brief argues that transparency in these mechanisms is essential to determine if strategies are meeting the needs of beneficiary populations in real time.
• The capacity of state governments in the Sahel to coordinate, absorb, and manage available resources remains a critical challenge. There is a noted shortage of high-quality technical operators and public regulators to implement the strategic designs.
• Responsibility for strategic approaches in the Sahel is characterized as collective and plural, often lacking a single centralized authority for steering or implementation. This makes the process open to constant negotiation among various actors.

APA

Helly, D., Théroux-Bénoni, L.-A., Galeazzi, G., Maïga, I., & Ouédraogo, F. (2015). Sahel strategies: why coordination is imperative. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief76Eng.pdf

Chicago

Helly, Damien, Lori-Anne Théroux-Bénoni, Greta Galeazzi, Ibrahim Maïga, and Fatimata Ouédraogo. Sahel strategies: why coordination is imperative. Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief76Eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Helly |first1=Damien |last2=Théroux-Bénoni |first2=Lori-Anne |last3=Galeazzi |first3=Greta |last4=Maïga |first4=Ibrahim |last5=Ouédraogo |first5=Fatimata |title=Sahel strategies: why coordination is imperative |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief76Eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{helly2015sahel, author = {Helly, Damien and Théroux-Bénoni, Lori-Anne and Galeazzi, Greta and Maïga, Ibrahim and Ouédraogo, Fatimata}, title = {{Sahel strategies: why coordination is imperative}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief76Eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }