“In the Sahel, getting out of all-security is a requirement”

Change priorities to break the deadlock in which the Sahel has been sinking for almost ten years. This is the leitmotif of the Citizen Coalition for the Sahel, an alliance of 48 African and international civil society organizations created in July 2020. Its first report, published on April 13, is presented as a roadmap for leaders and institutions. Prioritize the protection of civilians, tackle the root causes of the crisis, respond to the humanitarian emergency and fight against impunity: four pillars have been erected as so many ways forward to change the situation.

For the coalition, the failure of policies so far carried out in the field of the fight against insecurity is bitter. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, attacks against civilians have quintupled since 2017. In these countries, jihadists are extending their hold, fueling inter-community conflicts. For the Senegalese Alioune Tine, founder of the West African think tank AfrikaJom Center and member of the coalition, it is urgent to get out of the exclusively military approach. In an interview with World Africa, the independent expert on the human rights situation in Mali goes back to the roots of the evils that plague the Sahel and the roads to be taken to improve the daily lives of civilians.

Why do you think it is urgent to change course?

“With nearly 2,440 dead in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, 2020 was the deadliest year. “

Since 2013, the security response, which has been characterized by an impressive mobilization of soldiers and massive funding [2 milliards d’euros par an pour la lutte antiterroriste], did not yield any significant results on the ground. According to maps drawn up by some countries, the only safe areas remain the capitals. With nearly 2,440 dead in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, 2020 was the deadliest and most tragic year for the populations. The humanitarian toll is very heavy. There are nearly 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons. The reality is that we are in an impasse, chaos and uncertainty. Getting out of the all-safe is quite simply a requirement.

The French operation “Barkhane”, the UN mission Minusma, the European mission EUTM, the task force “Takuba”, the G5 Sahel… The interveners are more and more numerous and yet the war is spreading. How to explain it?

It is rare that foreign armies manage to deliver a country from its aggressors. Considering what is happening in the Sahel, we can see that the limits of outsourcing security issues are largely exceeded. African states have no control over strategy, responses, or diplomatic and financial resources in the Sahel.

Should we “Sahelize” responses to conflicts?

I think we should rather “Africanize” them. To effectively fight terrorism, the African continent, through the AU [Union africaine] and ECOWAS [Communauté économique des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest], should be in the front line to mobilize the troops and find the means to prevent attacks against the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, which will certainly be the next targets of the jihadists. The challenges ahead are enormous.

One of the recommendations of the Citizen Coalition for the Sahel is to encourage dialogue with all parties to the conflict, including jihadist cadres of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Islamic State in Grand Sahara (EIGS).

This is a realistic solution given the impossibility of defeating jihadist groups on the ground, the continued deterioration of security and its tragic effects on the daily lives of civilians. The principle of dialogue with local jihadists is already retained in practically all the Sahel states. This dialogue was also encouraged during the last G5 Sahel summit in N’Djamena. [en février]. In some countries, this is starting to be a reality. We highly recommend it in our report.

Your report stresses the importance for States to fight against impunity. Why ?

Impunity maintains the vicious circle of violence and revenge. There is a deep crisis in the rule of law, linked to a process of decomposition of postcolonial states in the Sahel. The absence of the State in certain areas and the manifest weakness of judicial institutions have made impunity the norm and not the exception. In this context, most communities took charge of their own security and militias proliferated. They act in total illegality and with the tacit or accomplice support of local authorities or security forces.

These militias are increasing the number of massacres, as in Ogossagou, Mali (160 dead in March 2019), or Yirgou, Burkina Faso (at least 46 dead in January 2019). Why do they go unpunished?

In many cases, investigations fail for lack of political will or human resources. In many places affected by violence, justice does not work. This inaction reinforces the feeling of impunity from which the alleged perpetrators of such offenses would benefit.

At the same time, the Sahel is going through a serious governance crisis, on which your coalition is insisting a lot. How does it manifest itself?

“Postcolonial systems are at the end of their rope despite the alternations, which turn out to be political failures. “

The most obvious example is the crisis of elections, of universal suffrage. It crosses the entire Sahel. In no country has the election of the president been accepted by the opposition. These divisions make states even more vulnerable. On the contrary, the challenges and threats facing the Sahel should bring about the union of political forces. The postcolonial systems are everywhere at the end of their rope despite the alternations, which turn out to be political failures. The only answers they bring to the pathologies of democracy is authoritarianism. These soft dictatorships do not make sense: they arouse revolts and violence everywhere. This governance crisis affects the capacities of states to protect civilians.

These citizens are also sometimes the target of their own army. Your report underlines that in the Sahel, the military kill more civilians than the jihadists. How to explain it?

Civilians from some communities involved in jihadist groups are often seen as terrorists or accomplices themselves. Because of their identity alone, they are often the object of reprisals by the military. Respect for human rights has always been seen as a secondary issue compared to security issues. We must reverse the values ​​and put human security at the heart of the strategy.

Operation “Barkhane” was also accused of killing 19 civilians in a strike in Bounti, in central Mali. A detailed UN report has confirmed this version, but France firmly denies any blunders. What do you think ?

The issue of Bounti and the controversy it raises can only be resolved through the creation of an international and independent commission of inquiry. I believe that all parties affected by this tragedy should agree with this proposal.