The momentum of West Africa’s two jihadi theatres has started to favour al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The group, which operates in the Mali/Sahel region, succeeded in consolidating its position, while Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic state, is less active in the Nigeria/Lake Chad region. This evolution suggests that, in the long term, the Islamic state will find it difficult to compete with al-Qaeda in the region. Read on

In Mali, “the Algiers Process is painfully slow, and peace is not advancing,” noted Jean-Hervé Jezequel, Deputy Project Director for West Africa at the International Crisis Group, offering his analysis of the situation in an interview on the website Sahelien.com. “The setting up of the interim authorities is a significant step towards clarifying the division of responsibilities and power in the north of the country. Beyond local tensions, it is also interesting to note that young Malians have been appointed to important positions (sometimes because they are the only graduates). But this remains a fragile and insufficient step,” he said. Read on

West Africa’s main food and nutrition security players met in Lomé on 13-18 March. They discussed ways to better co-ordinate these efforts so that regional actions becomes more efficient and coherent, and not limited to just the sum of these projects and programmes. Read on

The Center for African Studies at the University of Florida hosted the 2017 Gwendolen M. Carter Conference in African Studies on 23-25 February. Organised by the Sahel Research Group, the conference brought together over 50 academics and policy makers from Africa, North America and Europe. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the pressing environmental, social, economic and political challenges that the region faces. Read on