Terrorism in the Sahel: beyond border complexities and building resilience

This research paper focuses on the following questions: What are the multifaceted dimensions through which terrorism in al-Sahil is influencing the region? In exploring the broader implications of terrorism as a security threat in al-Sahil, are there any distinct factors or circumstances that contribute to its manifestation and impact? Furthermore, how do regional and international actors exert their influence and shape the dynamics of terrorism in this region? By delving deeper into these inquiries, this paper aims to shed light on the complex nature of terrorism in the al-Sahil region, considering its impact dimensions and the various influences it encounters from both regional and international actors. Evaluating terrorism beyond its criminal aspect is crucial in order to comprehend its complete spectrum and devise effective strategies to counter its detrimental effects. Concerning the findings, first, the problem of terrorism is indeed a much larger shady business in which various regional and international actors are still involved and benefiting from its notoriety. States, regimes, and transnational interests within and beyond the Sahel region are implicated in confabulating never-ending terror. Second, terrorism's obscure nature is reflected in the international practice of the possibility of the enemy today being a friend tomorrow and vice versa. Third, insecurity in al-Sahel borders is not an issue of proximity to the Sahara but the ramifications of the ongoing politics of surrogate violence perpetrated in the pursuit of wealth and power. While death may be meted out in a place that is categorically different and politically alternative to the land of the sovereign, such practices must be understood as further consequences of the reproduction of sovereignty parafiscal politics in the contemporary Sahel. I have shown how questions of security must be posed in ways that capture these modes of operation if any of them are ever to be addressed.