The Sahel Project

In 2023 and 2024, French, German, and U.S forces conducted departures from positions the Sahel region, leaving countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to inherent existing counter-terrorism operations. The departures followed a series of coup d’états and military juntas, a steady rise in anti-Western sentiment, and an uptick in Russian influence among regional actors. 

In the vacuum of German and French presence, actors like Russia will seek to fill some of the void. Already, Africa Corpsforces have occupied former German and French military facilities. Italy’s bilateral support mission has also filled some of this gap, though their prolonged presence is tentative. Within this new security landscape, questions arise about how local forces – many of which are under-equipped, under-manned, and under-resourced – can uphold security and stability amid contestation from rebel and terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda-allied Nusrat-Al Islam and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

The Post-Withdrawal Sahel Project seeks to answer this question by fostering thought leadership and expertise, generating analyses about the different tactical, operational, and strategic elements that played a role in the withdrawal of French, German, and American forces, as well as the existing reality in the Sahel’s security landscape. Drawing from an array of experts who have extensive experience in Sahel defense and security, this project generates reports, articles, podcasts, and events about lessons learned and a future policy approach.

The Sahel Project is led by Caroline Rose and is part of the Military Withdrawals Portfolio.