About us

Sahel Academy for Peace & Security Studies (SAPSS)

Sahel Academy for Peace & Security Studies (SAPSS) is an independent think tank based in Bamako, Mali. SAPSS was established in March 2021 during the multidimensional crises in the Sahel to study internal and external threats facing the Sahel states and Africa more broadly. SAPSS aims to identify and predict the impacts of geopolitical developments and changes in the global balance of power on the Sahel and the African continent.

The Sahel Academy for Peace & Security Studies (SAPSS) is an independent think tank and laboratory of ideas, bringing together experts (both Sahelian and non-Sahelian) to conduct studies and research in the Sahel region with a view to facilitating effective and concrete decision-making by States and international partners.

Over the past few years, the Sahel has been facing a major security crisis involving jihadist insurgencies, armed rebellions, coups d'état, and illicit trafficking in drugs, weapons, and migrants. While it is true that some Sahelian countries have been accustomed to armed violence since gaining independence, the deployment of terrorist networks on their territory is relatively recent. The fall of the Libyan leader in 2011, which led to a relaxation of border controls and the circulation of a considerable quantity of weapons, and the collapse of the Malian state were the triggers for a latent security crisis throughout the Sahel region.

These issues, which have become more complex and spread throughout the region, are compounded by multifaceted crises linked to large-scale illegal migration, inter-community conflicts, organized crime, and cross-border crime. All these developments are taking place against a backdrop of ecological upheaval, poverty, food insecurity, youth unemployment, and struggles for access to natural resources and against armed terrorist groups with operational and organizational links to international terrorism.

This situation threatens not only the stability of all the Sahel states, but also the spread of Islamist jihadism to the coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea (Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Ghana, etc.). The rise of insecurity, violent extremism, and radicalization is a source of concern for both the states of the Sahel region and the international community. Over the years, many actors in the international community (including the UN) have considered that the security situation in the region has worsened, i.e., terrorism and insecurity continue to spread, devastating the lives of millions of people. The active presence of armed groups on both sides and the relative ease of cross-border movement between certain neighboring countries in the region pose a risk of spillover not only in the Sahel but also in other regions around the world.

To this end, in many Sahel countries weakened by terrorism and violent extremism, despite a strong military intervention (Barkhane, Takuba, Africom, United Nations, etc.), the expansion of terrorist groups' (TG) areas of operation has led to a change in the region's geopolitics, in particular, a new geopolitical reconfiguration is taking shape. Sub-regional military cooperation and partnership are emerging in the Sahel, Lake Chad and West Africa. To address the challenges posed by this situation and support local and international engagement, while further adapting endogenous crisis and conflict management mechanisms through the involvement of local actors such as women and young people, SAPSS has been working since its inception with states and partners to develop and implement initiatives for peace and development in the Sahel.

 

The SAPSS aims to provide strategic analysis and modeling to give decision-makers in Sahelian states and international partners an accurate overview of security, project implementation, and development programs in the Sahel. The SAPSS prepares political risk analyses, program implementation, and project monitoring and evaluation for local, regional, and international partners, analyzing the impact of various crises and geopolitical changes on terrorism and violent extremism. The SAPSS organizes strategic debates that anticipate power trends in the world and in the Sahel region, as well as regional and international geopolitical policies and projects and their impact in the Sahel.

SAPSS uses empirical data modeling methods, collects data through field investigation techniques (quantitative and qualitative) and scholarly methodologies in its strategic analyses, developing forecasts and corresponding strategies using a network of methods, experts, and specialized software.

SAPSS has teams of experts, researchers, and investigators covering a variety of geographical areas in the Sahel (including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania, and Chad).

 

 

🕊️ Peace and Security

• Analysis of mediation and women's participation in peace processes (Mali, Mauritania, ECOWAS, African Union).
• Assessment of the impact of reparations from the ICC Fund in Timbuktu (Mali).
• Studies on state presence, local governance, and post-conflict reconstruction (Mali, Niger).
• Research on the challenges and future of African peacekeeping missions (Africa, comparative studies of MINUSMA).

🔥 Prevention of Violent Extremism and Terrorism

• Studies on the militancy of armed terrorist groups in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, the Sahel in general).
• Training in radicalization prevention for diplomats and young ambassadors (Ethiopia, Niger).
• Publications and analyses on terrorist dynamics and the fight against extremism (Mali, Sahel, West Africa).

🌱 Social Cohesion and Community Resilience

• Analysis of community conflicts related to natural resources and displacement (Mauritania - KARAMA Project).
• Capacity building for local and community mediators (Mauritania, Mali).
• Support for traditional conflict management mechanisms (Mali).

🌐 Governance, Institutions, and Diplomacy

• Studies on cultural diplomacy and its role in peacebuilding (Mali).
• Consultations on African international relations (North Africa, Sahel).
• Diplomatic and leadership training for African diplomats (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia).

🧭 Strategic Research and Regional Analysis

• Participation in cross-cutting studies on regional security (ECOWAS, AU, G5 Sahel).
• Prospective assessments of regional integration and responses to security crises (West Africa, Sahel).
• Expertise in analyzing local power dynamics and security governance (Mauritania, Mali, Niger).