mmegi

Rethinking counter-terrorism strategy in the Sahel

Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel is accelerating faster than in any other region in Africa. After nearly a decade of conflict, violent events in the Sahel (specifically Burkina Faso, Mali, and western Niger) are surging, with a 140% increase since 2020 and no signs of abatement.

Militant Islamist group violence against civilians in the Sahel represents 60% of all such violence in Africa and is projected to increase by more than 40% in 2023.

This uninterrupted escalation of violence has displaced more than 2.5 million people and is on pace to kill more than 10,000 individuals in 2023. Government control over the vast rugged territory has diminished over the years, revealing an inability to sustain pressure on militant Islamist groups and to provide security for communities.

Editor's Comment
Who watches the watchdog?

For a fact, in a democratic society such as Botswana, the media plays a crucial role of being watchdog, holding the powerful to account and exposing all possible wrongdoing for the benefit of the public.There has been a nagging question about who watches the watchdog after all? Perhaps, the investigations into alleged wrongful acts implicating those supposed to be playing the watchdog role will shed more light into what has happened such that the...

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