European View DOI 10.1007/s12290-014-0327-1 ARTICLE
Treacherous sands: the EU and terrorism in the broader Sahel Rem Korteweg
Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies 2014
Abstract In the Sahel weak government institutions, porous borders, and ethnic, religious and tribal tensions enable organised crime networks, militants and terrorist groups to operate with relative impunity. The region is now a transmission belt for instability across resource-rich northern Africa. Lucrative hostage deals and smuggling have created a close relationship between organised crime and terrorist networks. Turmoil in the Sahel influences, and is influenced by, the aftermath of the Arab revolutions. European citizens and interests are at risk. The EU has a strategy to promote security and development in the Sahel, and its military missions focus on capacity-building to stem the terrorist threat. However, the EU does not have an integrated approach to the broader Sahel. Keywords Sahel Terrorism EU Maghreb Security Common Security and Defence Policy
Introduction The Sahel stretches from West Africa’s Atlantic shores to the Gulf of Aden, straddling the southern limits of the Sahara desert. It is the zone of limited rainfall that runs from Mauritania across the breadth of the continent to Eritrea and includes parts of countries as diverse as Senegal, Sudan and the Central African Republic. The region is characterised by arid and harsh climatic conditions. Its political environment is equally challenging: weak government R. Korteweg (&) Centre for European Reform, 14 Great College Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3RX, UK e-mail: rem@cer.org.uk
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