Success and Failure in Ending Civil Wars in African Sahel States and Societies: Politics and History

Author : Judy Ronen

Abstract :This paper will examine the complex of the threats and challenges facing war-torn states and societies in the African vast Sahel area, located on the geographic seam-line between North African (Maghreb) area and the African part south of it. Since the beginning of the 21st century onwards, intra- and inter-conflicts in the Sahel and its geo-strategic adjacent vicinity have gained a greater momentum, both in scope and essence. The conflicts have escalated to civil wars, resulting in endemic insecurity, political and socio-economic havoc, mass famine, plagues, fatalities and other human tragedies, as well as collapsing state framework, disintegration of national cohesion, loss of territory and national resources and spill-over of fighting across the borders. Consequently, the escalating wars have become a life-or-death question for states and societies in the Sahel with further dangerous implications far beyond the region. The paper will discuss the roots and course of the civil wars, analyzing the successes and the failures of regional and international mediatory actors to end the wars, which unfortunately has appeared to be a difficult task to achieve.

Keywords :North African and Sahel History and Politics, Civil Wars, Ethnicity and national cohesion, Regional and International mediation and Conflict Resolution attempts.

Conference Name :International Conference on Politics and History (ICPOLH-25)

Conference Place Athens, Greece

Conference Date 7th Apr 2025