Publication

This briefing paper not only recaps how the security status of the Sahel-Sahara region of Northwest Africa evolved from August 2014 until August 2015, it also clarifies how the international community now views the region. In particular, the paper's author reviews 1) the conflicts in Northern Mali, Northeast Nigeria and Libya; 2) the presence of violent extremism in the Maghreb region; 3) illegal migration patterns from Libya to the EU; 4) the international community’s activities in Northwest Africa; and 5) the growing consensus for an external intervention in Libya, despite the conflicting foreign aims and interests that might hinder such a move.