RIVALRIES IN THE SAHEL REGION OF AFRICA: DOMINANT POWERS AND MATTERS ARISING
Abstract
Rivalries among dominant powers in the Sahel region of Africa can be linked to renewed imperialism. Understanding how these powers maintain their influence can help identify the extent to which that influence drives fundamental foreign policy decisions. The implications of this renewed interest in the Sahel region are far-reaching but a concern for the Continent’s stability and independence. The activities of China, France, Russia, Turkey and the United States in the Sahel risk militarization of the region with wider implications. Data for this paper were generated through an in-depth analysis of related work on the subject, with realism as the theoretical basis. Findings, inter alia, reveal shared characteristics amongst dominant powers; development assistance in states of influence and militarization of the Continent reminiscent of Cold War proxy conflict.