Militarising the Sahel will not defeat terrorism

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Ayodele S OwolabiJanuary 23, 2026 at 01:39 PM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

In January 2026, an article highlighted the increasing militarization of the Sahel region in West Africa. Following US air strikes in Nigeria in December 2025, and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) joint military force, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also announced plans for a large counterterrorism force. The article suggests that this escalating militarization, while intended to combat terrorism, is unlikely to be effective and instead exacerbates geopolitical tensions. It argues that the shift away from previous collaborative security efforts risks pushing the Sahel towards interstate conflict, threatening regional peace and stability. The article points to competing foreign backers and rival military blocs as contributing factors to the instability.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Assimi Goïta 30% Ibrahim Traoré 40% Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 50% United States ×260% Burkina Faso 60% Donald Trump ×260% African-led International Support Mission to Mali 70% Northwest Nigeria 70% Mali ×280% Alliance of Sahel States (AES) ×280% ISIS (ISIL) 90%

Keywords

sahel 100% militarization 90% terrorism 80% armed conflict 70% counterterrorism 70% ecowas 60% regional security 60% us air strikes 50% alliance of sahel states 50% geopolitical tensions 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Mali

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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sahel militarization terrorism armed conflict counterterrorism ecowas regional security us air strikes alliance of sahel states geopolitical tensions

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