Strategic Reorientation

The Potential of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to Reshape Security and Stability

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The Sahel is undergoing a profound geopolitical shift. Nils A. Neubert examines how the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has broken from Western security partners, turning instead to Russia and Turkey. While AES’s joint military force improves operational flexibility, authoritarian counterterrorism and ethnic militias risk fueling jihadist recruitment. Without political inclusion and sustainable governance, Neubert argues, lasting stability remains elusive.

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Nils Neubert Nils A. Neubert is a master's student of International Security with a focus on Subsahara-Africa and Global Risks at Sciences Po Paris. Previously, he studied Political Science and Africa Studies at the University of Leipzig. His research focuses on security policy in Africa, with a regional emphasis on the Sahel, and the nexus between development and security.

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Neubert, N. (2023). Strategic Reorientation. EPIS Insight · Security Policy & Defence.
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