From Mali to Lake Chad: how a missing security policy hands the Sahel to global jihadism

The sahelo-saharan strip has officially become the global epicentre of jihadism. From western Mali to the edges of the Lake Chad basin, millions of Sahelian civilians now live under the yoke of groups linked to Al-Qaida or the Islamic State. Bans on farming, ultra-violent social rules, constant fear of the next raid — daily life for these communities is a living nightmare. Yet the most tragic part of this downward spiral is not just the strength of the attackers: it is the glaring fact that no real security policy exists to stop the fire sweeping across the Sahel.

The reign of reaction and ad-hoc responses

Faced with an interconnected threat that crosses the porous borders of the Sahel with stunning agility, state responses remain desperately fragmented, vague and improvised. We are witnessing a string of knee-jerk reactions after each massacre, rather than the implementation of a well-considered, shared military doctrine.

A genuine security policy is not limited to buying military hardware or posting grand statements on social media. It requires:

• Real, lasting strategic coordination between the frontline Sahelian states.
• A permanent plan to secure roads and farming zones to protect the rural economy of the Sahel.
• Territorial coverage and shared intelligence capable of anticipating enemy movements instead of simply counting the damage.

Instead, the current strategic vacuum gives armed groups free rein. They settle in, levy taxes and impose themselves as the only administrators of entire swaths of Sahelian territory.

The trap of all-out military without a global vision

Another symptom of this missing security policy in the Sahel is the illusion that the crisis can be solved by weapons alone. By forgetting the ‘human security’ component — which includes bringing back public services, schools, clinics and impartial justice to fragile areas — governments create an open door for jihadist recruiters.

Because there is no long-term vision to sustainably re-establish the state where it has failed, even successful military operations become like hitting water with a sword. As soon as the army pulls back or shifts to another zone, terrorist groups return, stronger and more entrenched within local communities than before.

An urgent wake-up call or collapse

The assessment from Mali to Lake Chad is a severe warning for the region’s future. You cannot fight a global, structured insurgency with improvisation and broken strategic alliances. As long as Sahelian leaders refuse to design a comprehensive, scientific and truly coordinated security policy, political speeches will keep flowing — while the ground keeps slipping inexorably into the hands of armed groups.