Sahel seeing ‘Cold War’ in parallel to counter-terrorism efforts, expert says

Africa’s Sahel region now accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism worldwide. That was the stark warning heard at a high-level summit in Nigeria that aims to counter terrorism across Africa. It comes as the threat of Islamist extremist attacks is on the rise. International troops, notably French forces, have been forced to leave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger after a series of coups. In Perspective, we spoke to Stig Jarle Hansen, a professor of international relations at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the author of « Horn, Sahel and Rift: Fault-lines of the African Jihad ». He told us that the withdrawal of French troops has inevitably led to the spread of Islamist militant attacks, and that a « Cold War » is playing out amid increased Russian influence in the region.