The Sahel: What needs to change

Around 50 civil society organisations from the Sahel region and wider international community have come together for the first time in support of a landmark report published by the People’s Coalition for the Sahel, outlining a new strategy for securing peace in the region after 8 years of conflict.

Across the Central Sahel, more civilians were killed by soldiers supposed to protect them than by non-state armed groups. Almost 2 million people have had to flee their homes because of the violence in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, 60% of whom are children. About 13 million girls and boys are deprived of education. 14.4 million people are in urgent need of assistance in 2021.

According to new analysis from the report ‘The Sahel: What Needs to Change – Towards a new peoplecentred approach’, threats to civilians have continuously increased in the region in spite of French-led international effortssince 2013 to halt the advance of jihadist groups across the Sahel (particularly in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger).