French President Emmanuel Macron has not displayed a flicker of recognition that his strategy to stabilize the Sahel region by fighting jihadist groups has failed after another Paris-backed African strongman bit the dust last week in Chad, killed trying to fend off an umpteenth armed rebellion. […]
Macron vehemently opposes any negotiation with jihadists in the Sahel, which would be politically embarrassing for him at home. However, the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, perhaps sensing the French military shield will not be there forever, have opened back channels to explore at least local truces with some of the rebels.
The EU should support these dialogues and flex its financial muscle with Sahel governments to promote governance reform, national reconciliation, community-level dispute resolution and the protection of civilians so that the social and economic root causes of instability can be properly addressed. Läs artikel