The security paradigm and the challenges of development in the Sahel region: The Sahel G5 and the counter-terrorism strategy

The Sahel region has become synonymous with violence over the last three decades. Indeed, poverty, conflict, rapid population growth, radical extremism, food insecurity, climate change, human trafficking, migration, and poor governance have seen the region referred to as 'the corridor of conflict.' Of concern has been the rapid increase in terror-related attacks as well as violent extremism. According to the Global Terrorism Index ranking, Mali, Niger, and Chad, as well as the neighbouring Libya and Nigeria, are among the top 30 countries affected by terrorism. This research seeks to examine the causes of the conflict, its impact, actors involved and the nature of the response from the regional states. The study uses the theory of ungoverned space to explain why the Sahel region is prone to conflict and how such space has made it difficult for the G5S to bring peace. The research is limited to the Sahel region's conflict with a specific emphasis on Niger and Mali as case studies. It adopts a qualitative approach to data collection and relied on rigorous thematic analysis of existing literature. After examining the information in the documents, we have come up with several findings as well as some recommended policies that may be useful in ending the ongoing crisis.