Search

The West African Sahel, situated as a semiarid transition area between the Sahara Desert and the savannah subregion, has garnered considerable research interest in recent years due to its distinctive climate characteristics. Of particular focus in this study are the patterns of moisture flux convergence and summer monsoon rainfall in the Sahel, and their interconnected variability. This study aims to enhance our comprehension of the dynamics governing the variation of the West African Monsoon (WAM) through the Vertical Integrated Moisture Flux Convergence. (VIMFC). This study findings reveal a notable upward trend in rainfall within the Sahel region over the past thirty years, primarily attributed to the climate's response to atmospheric warming. Projections indicate that, with future warming, the frequency of rainy days and the occurrence of rainfall are expected to increase in the Sahel. While the dominant circulation systems exhibit no significant deviations, the lower-level wind patterns play a crucial role in transporting moisture from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel. Moreover, strengthening of wind patterns at higher altitudes correlates with wetter conditions in the Sahel in the latter decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The West African Sahel, situated as a semiarid transition area between the Sahara Desert and the savannah subregion, has garnered considerable research interest in recent years due to its distinctive climate characteristics. Of particular focus in this study are the patterns of moisture flux convergence and summer monsoon rainfall in the Sahel, and their interconnected variability. This study aims to enhance our comprehension of the dynamics governing the variation of the West African Monsoon (WAM) through the Vertical Integrated Moisture Flux Convergence. (VIMFC). This study findings reveal a notable upward trend in rainfall within the Sahel region over the past thirty years, primarily attributed to the climate's response to atmospheric warming. Projections indicate that, with future warming, the frequency of rainy days and the occurrence of rainfall are expected to increase in the Sahel. While the dominant circulation systems exhibit no significant deviations, the lower-level wind patterns play a crucial role in transporting moisture from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel. Moreover, strengthening of wind patterns at higher altitudes correlates with wetter conditions in the Sahel in the latter decades.

The United States has emerged as a prominent actor in the international fight against transnational terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa since 2002, exerting significant political influence on regional affairs. Under the leadership of the United States, a coalition of Sahel countries has collaboratively established security programs, notably including the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP). However, the U.S. counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel region has not only proven ineffective in containing the deterioration of regional security, but also has exacerbated the vulnerability to coups in recipient countries. The observed deterioration can be attributed to various driving factors, such as deviations in the willingness and ability to involve and the security traffic jam. We contend that the U.S.-Sahel counterterrorism partnership is fundamentally misaligned and plagued by a securitization problem. Firstly, a significant impediment to international cooperation lies in the United States' pursuit of consolidating its dominant role in Sahel security affairs, which usually overlooks the pragmatic principle of 'African solutions to African problems'. In the counterterrorism process, there is a misalignment between U.S. national interests and those of Sahel states. Furthermore, the United States' extensive reliance on military strategies indicates a significant securitization of non-violent civil affairs in certain Sahel states, inadvertently creating an opportunity for genuine terrorist organizations to recruit members. In addition, U.S. interference in the internal affairs of Sahel states heightens the risk of coups, thereby undermining the legitimacy of U.S. leadership in the region. Currently, with both the withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and France withdrawing their security forces from the Sahel region, there has a significant weakening effect on regional security capabilities. Therefore, it is imperative for the international community to collaborate with African nations and adopt more proactive measures to safeguard regional security and maintain order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on violent extremism in Africa argues that jihadi insurgents exploit inter-ethnic cleavages and local grievances in order to recruit and gain support from the region because such political mobilisation leads to an escalation of clashes and violence among communal groups. On the other hand, local militias, especially those aided by governments, incite acts of anti-government terrorists. Using the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) data set, we explore at which duration-area level the jihadist and militia attacks affect each other's atrocities and how the effects vary in three Francophone Sahelian countries—Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. We find that violent acts by militias (or jihadists) tend to be reactive to terrorist attacks (or militia movements) rather than happening concurrently or against one another. More specifically, violent incidents by jihadi insurgents and local militias have an aggravating effect on each other's violent acts in sub-regional administrative units over a week at the highest rate in Mali and Burkina Faso. Further, results from a cross-country analysis suggest that homegrown factors, including terrorist group rivalry, government responses to terrorism and self-defence militias' intentions and determination, might affect how the jihadists' exploitation of the cleavages and the growing challenges posed by ethnic militias to the extremists exacerbate the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives thought to the exploitation of Niger's natural resources by France, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US), among other countries. The objective of this paper is to deconstruct the exploitation of Niger's uranium, gold, and coal, among other natural resources, and the surge in terrorism. This paper adopts qualitative secondary research as its methodology and resource curse theory as its theoretical framework. The gap that the paper bridges is that most research about the exploitation of Niger's natural resources and the rise in terrorism ignores the involvement of France among other Western countries. Findings that develop from this paper reveal that France has exploited Niger's natural resources since colonisation. Similarly, the EU and the US, among other countries, have been accomplices in the exploitation of Niger's natural resources. Additionally, Western countries, namely France, the EU, and the US, including Britain and Russia, have been involved in supporting administrations or terrorists that advance their interests in Niger, among other issues. Further results show that successive administrations in Niger and those that took control through the coup in July 2023 enjoy the support of the major global powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing terrorist attacks in the Sahel region call for strengthening the security system by using human DNA identification technology. In this context, public opinion must be considered when establishing solid standards and universal safeguards for one of the most invasive forms of surveillance and profiling. For this purpose, we gathered internet users' opinions in Burkina Faso (a country located in the Sahel region) on the use of DNA technology to support criminal investigations. The results revealed that 91.7% (431) of the 470 participants believed that this technology is currently necessary for the Burkina Faso's criminal justice system. However, the respondents expressed concerns about the custody and management of a national forensic DNA database. In this particular security setting, the public opinion of this study may provide leaders and political policymakers with clues for considering genetic fingerprints and implementing an national forensic DNA database to support criminal investigations in Burkina Faso whilst also considering the ethical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sahel-Sahara region has been enduring series of conflicts which range from varying degrees with detrimental impacts on the lives of millions of inhabitants living in the region. While many studies have strongly affirmed this assertion, the emerging states are divided in terms of secular religion, pastoralist, farmer and ethnicity which resulted in persistent conflicts. These elements have devastating effects on the socio-economic development, natural cohesion, peace and nation building in the region. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the tide of terrorism and the attendant effects in the region. Using qualitative research methods, the study explores the background of the multidimensional crisis and analyse the violent terrorist groups, communal conflicts, causes of the crisis, development crisis and measures implemented by various international organisations to stem the tide for nation building. Primary and secondary sources were utilised to provide deeper insights and support the analysis. The findings reveal that lack of democratic institution in the region is the major causes of the crisis measures and efforts to eradicate insecurity are significant processes in this study. The study concludes that multifaceted issues of insecurity, violent, terrorism and communal conflicts in the region are evidence that the implementation of democratic measures in the region has not yielded progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective disaster management heavily relies on accurate flood susceptibility mapping. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is adept at considering the imprecise nature of decision-making criteria. This study assesses FAHP's effectiveness in flood susceptibility mapping, comparing it with the conventional analytic hierarchy process (AHP). By using Geographic Information System-analyzed remotely sensed data, the research systematically evaluates flood risk southeast of Algiers. Various datasets, including Digital Elevation Model, slope, precipitation, and land use maps, were collected via remote sensing. A linear fuzzy membership function transformed the data into fuzzy values. AHP determined the importance of each dataset, with calculated weights multiplied by corresponding fuzzy values. Fuzzy analysis combined these characteristics into a five-category flood risk map, verified with Google Earth and satellite images. Results indicate a high potential for flood hazard mapping, categorizing 30% of frequently flooded regions as high risk. Maps reveal north basin areas are more flood prone due to excessive precipitation, and urban areas in floodplains are vulnerable. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC) assessments demonstrate AHP and FAHP's effectiveness. AUC values of 88.40 and 92% indicate that both models accurately predict flood-prone areas. FAHP excels, reducing subjectivity and ambiguity in human judgments. HIGHLIGHTS Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) excels in handling uncertain factors for accurate flood maps.; Utilizes diverse remote sensing data, converted into fuzzy values.; Comparative study in Sahel shows FAHP's superior performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 92%) in mitigating judgment uncertainty.; Maps reveal high susceptibility in heavily precipitated northern regions and floodplain urban areas.;

In the African Sahel region, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L). R. Brown) is mostly produced in low-nutrient soils. Available evidence shows that low soil fertility and small seed size significantly reduce seedling establishment and in turn, cause low grain yield. Seedball technology, which refers to a gravimetric mixture of loam soil, seeds, water and additives that improve plant performance, could overcome this effect in the field. The objective of this study was to optimise the influence of seedball on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L). R. Brown) seedling establishment in the African Sahel region. Conventionally sown and seedball-derived pearl millet seedlings, of a local and improved varieties, were grown for 29 days, from small and large seed sizes, in low- and medium-nutrient soils, in a greenhouse. Results showed that under low-nutrient conditions, and with small seed sizes, P. glaucum produced generally inferior biomas compared to normal nutrient conditions and large seed sizes. On the other hand, seedball technology significantly enhanced (P<0.05) seedling vigour, leaf number, plant height, dry matter accumulation, root length and fine root development; and nutrient uptake, irrespective of soil nutrient level and seed size in the two varieties used in this study. These enhancement effects were more obvious in the local variety compared to its improved counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition is the next major hurdle in the field of HIV-infected youth, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. At St Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou, fully informed and compliant patients over 13-years-old were eligible for referral to the adult HIV/AIDS service, after completion of an individualized preparatory process. Transition consisted in at least two consecutive "joined-service" appointments in the respective facilities. We retrospectively compared immunological, clinical, and therapeutical data one year before transition, at transition and one year after transition. Between 2008 and 2019 73 patients (34 females, 39 males) were transitioned. All had been previously in pediatric care for at least 1 year and 66 were on HAART. Matched paired analysis of CD4 counts revealed a modest drop in CD4 cells over time (p < 0.05). Clinical data also showed strong fluctuation between WHO clinical stages over the three time points, with a clear trend towards increased severity especially post transfer. This large retrospective 12-year single-center experience from a Sahel country showed a 95.8% retention rate at one year. It demonstrates how a comprehensive plan, carefully implemented, can provide excellent retention, even in a low-resource setting. However, mild immunological decline was associated with a worrisome clinical deterioration, underlining the importance of assessing the latter after transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female pastoralists exhibit great strength in the drive to make a dependable livelihood from livestock tending. This is not without challenges that are genderspecific. This paper examines the socio-economic and environmental challenges faced by women pastoralists in the Sahelian Region of Northern Nigeria. Primary data were derived from an interview of 2,290 adult female household members in 6 local government areas in Bauchi and Gombe States in Nigeria. A stepwise regression analysis determined that amongst 23 socio-economic variables, 14 were significant explanatory or predictive variables (p < 0.05) for the socioeconomic status of women, as a measure of their capacity to sustain pastoralism. The results indicate that the length of time or experience in pastoralism had the most predictive power (β = 0.31; p < 0.05), and contributed 13% (R2 = 0.13) in enhancing the socio-economic status of pastoralist women. This was followed by other socio-economic factors such as the level of formal educational attained, participation in household livestock raising, ownership of large livestock, climate change awareness, prevalence of out-of-school children within the household, availability of household transportation means, category of health care facility accessed, involvement in non-agricultural economic sectors, involvement in food crop farming, ownership of small livestock, amount of rest/sleep affordable, membership of community development groups, and age. The paper recommends support for female education in pastoral communities, access to health care in remote areas, and upgrading community development groups to cooperative or self-help groups that can provide affordable loans to assist pastoralist women in thriving better in a supposedly male-dominated profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU's Sahel strategy was formulated in accordance with the EU's holistic approach, emphasizing the interconnectivity of security, development, and governance. This paper seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the EU's Sahel strategy and its alignment with established goals. Thus, the initial Sahel strategy was introduced by the EU in 2011, subsequently fortified by the 2015-2020 regional action plan. These two documents delineate the fundamental pillars that form the basis of the EU's involvement in the Sahel region. The EU's involvement encompasses a multifaceted approach aimed at promoting security, development, and cooperation in the Sahel. This includes initiatives to counter terrorism and extremism, enhance governance and rule of law, promote sustainable development, and strengthen regional partnerships. However, the European Union's strategy toward the Sahel region encounters substantial challenges across various dimensions. In addition, evaluations suggest that a timely and comprehensive reassessment of the EU's Sahel policy is essential to achieve its intended objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal West African countries are in a threat anticipatory anxiety mode: over the fear that subaltern violent "jihadist" groups (SVJGs) are breaching their borders and heading south from across the Sahel. In Ghana, this fear has led to a build-up of commentaries, political statements, and counter-extremism/counterterrorism programs. This article interrogates the terrorism discourse in this West African country at the intersection of critical security studies and the politics of space, by applying securitisation theory and critical discourse analysis. In what is the most comprehensive academic review of news articles on the terrorism discourse in Ghana yet, I contend that the discourse evokes what Boaventura de Sousa Santos calls 'abyssal thinking' and creates cognitive and physical spatial abyssal lines. On the invisible side, insecurity within Ghana gets "normalised" by the discourse. On the visible side, however, SVJGs are securitised as abnormal, foreign, and uniquely threatening. This nature of the discourse effectively places events and conditions in the country that are either terroristic or constitutive of terrorism on the invisible side of Ghana's security priorities. The discourse, therefore, hides much about the reality of insecurity and political violence within the country. These arguments advance the frontiers of security/terrorism knowledge and practice in West Africa by demonstrating the pervasiveness of "global war on terror" systems of representation, two decades after their inception and despite their flaws and adverse implications for human and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makalenin konusu, Sahel bölgesinde faaliyet gösteren devlet dışı silahlı aktörlerin özel ajandaları ile yerel dinamikleri birbirine entegre eden hibrit stratejilerini analiz etmektir. Çalışmada, seçilen terör grupları ve yerel milis grupların 2013-2022 tarihleri arasında Mali, Burkina Faso ve Nijer’deki şiddet eylemleri analiz edilecektir. Çalışmanın amacı, DDSA tanımlaması altında ele alınan grupların son dönemde artan eylemleri ve alan kontrolleri doğrultusunda bu grupların hangi sebepler dahilinde Sahel bölgesinde dirençlilik kazandığını saptamaktır. Bu bağlamda; zayıf ordular ve sorunlu terörle mücadele yaklaşımı, yerel yönetişim eksikliği ve yönetilemeyen alanlar ikilemi, bu grupların genişlemesine zemin hazırlayan faktörler olarak belirlenmiştir.

Copyright of Rouya Turkiyyah is the property of Insight Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The geographic area of the Sahel is of particular interest when examining regional security issues that have negatively affected political, economic and social interaction on the African continent for decades. The region has seen a massive upsurge in lethal violence, and militant groups continue to expand their activities southward, now threatening coastal West Africa. The paper examines the links between the growing dynamics of the Sahel and the security of Liptako-Gourma, composed of groups of contiguous states rooted in historical and geographical environments. The paper empirically applies the Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver’s “Regional Security Complex Theory” (RSCT) as a framework for studying the discourse of security threats and the dynamics of security challenges in the region. The application of RSCT theory makes a significant contribution to understanding these regional security issues in the Liptako-Gourma region. The complex links between threats demonstrate the likely impossibility of addressing these threats in isolation, and the need for a broader approach. The study interprets the current relationship between France and Mali in relation to Mali’s withdrawal from the G5 Sahel Force as hostile. The authors argue that the regional nature of the security threats strongly supports the claim that geographic proximity is a major contributor to security interactions. The paper also reveals that the individual security of each state cannot be separated from that of its neighbors. Therefore, it is suggested that mutual interests could contribute to a stronger regional security initiative that integrates the fight against a common threat such as terrorism.

Agricultural drought is a complex phenomenon with numerous consequences and negative implications for agriculture and food systems. The Sahel is frequently affected by severe droughts, leading to significant losses in agricultural yields. Consequently, assessing vulnerability to agricultural drought is essential for strengthening early warning systems. The aim of this study is to develop a new multivariate agricultural drought vulnerability index (MADVI) that combines static and dynamic factors extracted from satellite data. First, pixel temporal regression from 1981 to 2021 was applied to climatic and biophysical covariates to determine the gradients of trend magnitudes. Second, principal component analysis was applied to groups of factors that indicate the same type of vulnerability to configure the basic equation of vulnerability to agricultural drought. Then, random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbours (KNN), support vector machine (SVM) and naïve Bayes (NB) were used to predict drought vulnerability classes using the 28 factors as inputs and 708 pts of randomly distributed class labels. The results showed statistical agreement between the predicted MADVI spatial variability and the reference model (R=0.86 for RF) and its statistical relationships with the vulnerability subcomponents, with an R=0.73 with exposure to climate risk, R=0.64 with the socioeconomic sensitivity index, R=0.6 with the biophysical sensitivity index and a relatively weak correlation (R=0.21) with the physiographic sensitivity index. The overall vulnerability situation in the watershed is 21.8% extreme, 10% very high, 16.8% high, 27.7% moderate, 22.2% low and 1.5% relatively low considering the cartographic results of the predicted vulnerability classes with SVM having the best performance (accuracy=0.96, Kappa=0.95). The study is the first approach that uses the gradients of magnitudes of satellite covariate anomaly trends in multivariate modelling of vulnerability to agricultural drought. It can be easily scaled up across the Sahel region to improve early warning measures related to the impacts of agricultural drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to provide an empirical answer to the question of whether nexus exists between climate change and sustainable agricultural growth in nine (9) countries within the Sahel region between 1990 and 2020. The study utilized Panel ARDL and Pairwise Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Causality Tests to arrive at the following conclusions; firstly, the climate change orchestrated by change in rainfall is a very prominent factor causing reduction in sustainable agricultural growth in the Sahel region. One way feedback relationship flows from sustainable agricultural growth to greenhouse gas emission. In the light of the above, this study recommends that, in addressing the adverse effects of change in rainfall on agricultural sustainability, the policymakers in the Sahel region in particular and Africa as a whole should embark on a policy mix by embanking on mitigating policy response towards ensuring sustainable agricultural production via irrigation which is the best mode of water provisions without causing negative spilliovers on the environment. Also, the policymakers should be proactive by embarking on policies and programs that would build the resilience and adaptation of the region ahead of the future adverse effects of agriculturally induced climatic change.

The paper demonstrates that the Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) is one very useful analytical tool and method to help Allied political decision makers and military strategists to rethink the Alliance’s new role and mission in Africa, as the Southern neighbour of NATO and the EU having great possibilities to influence, either positively or negatively, the European and Euro-Atlantic security. Thus, the paper’s scope is to use MCA in order to highlight the importance of Africa for NATO’s Geopolitics and what Member States should undertake in order to join the competitive North African and Sahel region’s arms and presence race against the increased Russian and Chinese economic and military interests.

This study investigates the spectacular geomorphological features of Jurassic (Younger) Granites in NE Nigeria by using field observations and some structural (i.e. joints) analyses. The study area is in the Sahel region of the Subsaharan of Africa as a transition zone between the Sahara Desert and Equatorial region, where many studies have focused on the loess deposits, ergs, climate change, and Saharan Desert boundary changes. Morphological features of rocks in the study area have not been widely discussed in the literature. However, inselbergs, ruwares, and pillar structures are the major landforms in this vast plain with an arid environment. Boulders, blocks, mushrooms, and corestones, tafoni, shelter caves, flared slopes, polygonal cracks, and weathering pits are minor features. Weathering products consisting of white-colored, granular quartz-bearing grus and red clayey laterite surround the granite masses. Subsurface weathering has favored the formation of major geomorphological features; however, subsequent superficial weathering leading to hydration and stripping occurred mostly under the humid climatic conditions with seasonal variation of dry and humid climatic conditions. Local paleoenvironmental – paleoclimatic conditions would have prevented excess weathering and erosion in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper models domestic (internal) and cross-border dynamics of instability through the lens of 'ABM modelling–AfriLand-Rebel'. It examines the post-Gaddafi Libya and its export of instability in the region. It gives a useful balance of analysis on socio-cultural and environmental dynamics which transcend national boundaries, such as the influx and out-flux of refugee flows, insurgency, transnational conflict and crime in the Sahel. It examines the broader regional implications of conflict due to refugee flows, proliferation of weapons and spill over effects of insecurity. Methodologically, it employs the use of descriptive analysis relying solely on secondary information for data generation and analysis. The paper therefore posits that ensuring future stability in the region would require investments in education, infrastructure, poverty alleviation and good governance initiatives, all of which are critical to addressing the broader causes and spread of insecurity and violent extremism in the Sahel region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is negatively affecting agricultural production in the Sahel region. Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies (CSATs) are disseminated to reduce these negative effects, and particularly those on resource-poor farm households. This article investigates the distributional impacts of the adoption of CSAT on-farm households’ welfare using a dataset that covers four regions, 32 communes, 320 villages, and 2240 households in Mali. Using an instrumental variable quantile treatment effects model, the paper addresses the potential endogeneity arising from the selection bias and the heterogeneity of the effect across the quantiles of the outcome variables’ distribution. The results show that the adoption of CSAT is positively associated with improved households’ welfare. The farmers’ decision to adopt any CSAT is influenced by access to credit, contact with extension agents, participation in training, access to information through the television, and being a member of any organization such as a cooperative society. Moreover, the effect of the adoption of CSAT on household welfare varies across the different households. In particular, the results show that the impact of the adoption of CSAT on households’ welfare is generally higher for the poorest (farmers located at the bottom tail of the distribution) end of the welfare distribution. The findings, therefore, highlight the pro-poor impact of the adoption of CSAT in the rural Malian context, as well as the need to tailor the CSAT interventions toward specific socio-economic segments of the rural population in Mali.

Security in the Sahel region has traditionally been studied through a realist prism, emphasising military concerns and the pre-eminent influence of great powers in shaping local security concerns. The paper reviews the securitisation initiatives in Africa's Sahel. It specifically explores Buzan and Waever's 'securitisation' framework to re-evaluate securitising discourse and the contemporary initiatives of the EU, France and the U.S.A. in the Sahelian States. Its main observation is that the central security actors in the Sahel have over the years paid less attention to the securitisation of threats in the region. The paper provides indicators of successful securitisation, which includes but goes beyond speech acts. It underscores the reality that though the securitisation of Africa's Sahel has helped to legitimise the 'war on terrorism', it has very little to offer for Africa's development problems. The paper posits that securitisation, though a laudable initiative, does not sufficiently address root causes of terrorism, which are not military but social and economic. It thus recommends a holistic approach to addressing the security challenges in the Sahel; which must include: providing increased safe access for those who want to work in the West while also assisting to create economic prospects and opportunities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spate of violent clashes between nomadic pastoralists and agrarian communities in Nigeria raises a number of legal and policy questions that had been long overlooked. Issues arising from the phenomenon range from questions over constitutionally guaranteed rights such as the right to own property, to questions over the inadequacies of Nigeria's security apparatus as well as calls for land use reforms. Additionally, due to the groups affected and the scale of casualties, the topic has become a political molten magma. The constant conflicts between nomadic pastoralists who are majorly from the Fulani ethnic group, and agrarian communities from other parts of the country have reached unprecedented levels leading to accusations of coordinated attempts at land grab, ethnic cleansing, jihad and insurgency, threatening the country's security and stability in the process. Fiscally, the destruction of lives and property and the state of insecurity emanating from the clashes stood at $16 billion in potential revenue as at 2018. In no small measure have these clashes been precipitated by climate change and the consequent drought in the Sahara region. This paper analyses the role of the Nigerian state in balancing the interests of affected groups in the clashes and promoting development. At its core, it seeks to identify legal and policy gaps that require filling to put a definite end to the lingering crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is necessary to understand religious leaders' perceptions of modern contraceptive use and their role in influencing fertility behaviour for the successful adoption of family planning, especially in societies where the religious leaders' opinions can have a significant influence on individuals' reproductive decisions. This study, therefore, aimed to assess religious leaders' knowledge of family planning and their involvement in family planning programmes in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. Methods: This is a qualitative study comprising in-depth individual interviews with twenty-one religious' leaders in the town of Dori in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. An interview guide was used for data collection. This interview guide was developed based on the central themes and sub-themes determined for the research, namely, the religious leaders' knowledge of modern contraception, the inclusion of information on modern contraception during religious activities and the relationship between religious leaders and reproductive health services. All interviews were recorded and transcribed in French using Microsoft Word. The verbatims were then coded for content analysis. The analysis method chosen was that of thematic analysis. Results: The results of the study showed that religious leaders had good knowledge about family planning including modern contraceptive methods and fertility regulation through birth spacing. Regarding their involvement in family planning programme, religious leaders said they were not involved enough. However, the results of the study showed that leaders are reluctant to promote the use of FP methods. Conclusion: Although religious leaders are knowledgeable about family planning, they are still reluctant to promote the use of modern contraceptive methods in their communities. To do so, efforts are needed to sensitise and mobilise them in family planning programmes. The cooperation of local religious leaders will help promote family planning and improve Burkina Faso's performance on the Sustainable Development Goals through the achievement of the demographic dividend in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first half of 2021 was marked by the continued spread of the Sars-CoV-2 virus throughout the African continent, by the desperate attempts of the UN and regional powers to implement the Ceasefire Agreement in Libya and keep security situation under control, and increasing the number of illegal migrants to Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce terrorist acts in the Sahel region, nor did it stop the wave of small immigrant boats to Spain and Italy from Africa. But the coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of many African borders, bringing the economies of those countries to the brink of bankruptcy and deteriorating the humanitarian situation in North Africa and the Sahel region. The international community has difficulty monitoring the situation in the area, especially the humanitarian crisis and illegal migration, which is seriously affecting security in its vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resilience of quinoa to drought stress conditions makes the crop suitable for the Sahel region. It can support grain production during the dry season and be considered an alternative crop for alleviating food insecurity within the region. Given the importance of this crop outside the indigenous cultivation area, there is a requisite for the development of crop models to facilitate further expansion of quinoa along the Sahel region. Crop water models are of interest due to increasing pressure on water resources, and the portrayal of irrigation scheduling as the best option for water optimisation. The AquaCrop model was selected, as this model simulates crop development and derives both optimal frequencies and net applications of irrigation. Due to limited water resources in the region, different irrigation regimes [full irrigation, progressive drought (PD), deficit irrigation and extreme deficit irrigation] were proposed for analysing yield and biomass responses to water stress conditions. Results suggest that yields were stabilised at around 1.0 Mg ha-1 under PD, thereby prioritising maximum water productivity rather than maximum yields. Water optimisation was attained by watering less at a suggested 310 mm, but with more frequent irrigation events, 28 rather than 20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to infrequent rainfall, high temperatures, and degraded land, the Sahel region often suffers from droughts. The Sahel region is considered as one of the world's driest and extreme environmental conditions. In order to assess spatiotemporal vulnerability of potential drought impacts, we used remote sensing and ground station data to evaluate drought conditions in the Sahel region from 1985 to 2015. The standard precipitation index (SPI), standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), vegetation condition index (VCI) anomaly, along with socioeconomic indicators were performed. In addition, Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) was computed between drought indices and three main crops (sorghum, millet, and maize) in the region to estimate the effects. The analysis showed that temperature increased by 0.78°C from 1985 to 2015, which had a significant impact on crop yield for sorghum, maize, and millet with a statistical significance value of P > 0.05. In the decade spanning 1994 to 2005 alone, the temperature increased by 0.57°C, which resulted in extreme drought in Algeria, Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritania. For the effect of drought on crop production, high significance was noted on the SPI and SPEI-3 timescale: sorghum with SPI-3 (r = 0.71) and SPEI-3 (r = 0.65), millet with SPI-3 (r = 0.61) and SPEI-3 (r = 0.72), and maize with SPI-3 (r = 0.81) and SPEI-3 (r = 0.65) during the study period. In the growing season, VCI anomaly had strong correlations with sorghum and millet (r = 0.67 and 0.75, respectively). A significant agreement was also noticed between the combined drought index (CDI) and vulnerability index (VI) in Burkina Faso (r = −0.676; P < 0.00), Mali (r = −0.768; P < 0.00), Mauritania (r = 0.843; P < 0.001), Niger (r = −0.625; P < 0.001), and Nigeria (r = −0.75; P < 0.005). The results show that the above indices are effective in assessing agricultural drought and its impact on crop production in the Sahel, and in identifying areas most affected by drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme drought events from climate disturbances are weakening livelihood and limiting agriculture and livestock production in the Sahel region. The lack of relevant information to anticipate coping measures has exacerbated impacts leading to climate adaptation failure in most parts. In this regard, the current research paper has collected important datasets with an objective to assess the impact of extreme drought events on household's livelihoods for better understanding impacts, local people's perception, and the changes on vegetation cover in order to support a robust adaptation strategy to drought. The study conducted a household survey and collected satellite data for comparative analysis. The first survey was conducted in 2013 to collect data from 465 household heads through a structured questionnaire. Supplementary focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted in 2018 to collect qualitative information from targeted respondents such as village leaders and members of other key groups including women and youth. Descriptive statistics and correlation coefficient matrix were used to characterize the impact on households' main livelihoods and logistic regression to predict people's perception on pasture depletion over the last 20 years. Satellite data were used to derive spectral vegetation of land covers and unsupervised classification indexes. Both individual survey and focus group discussions identified drought as the main climate constraint which reduced crop production, water and pastures. The logistic analysis revealed that if the respondent's major occupation is livestock, the probability to perceive a depletion of pasture will increase by 28%. Concurrently, the satellite image observation in perfect agreement with the field survey showed 6.78% and 6.01% losses of water surface and vegetation cover respectively between 1986 and 2016 in the study area. These findings showed that logistic regression coupled with satellite information can inform on past and future impacts which are extremely crucial for sound adaptation planning in the Sahel region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of regional security complex is one of the main theories of the regional approach of the international security system. The international organisations, the different strategies and concepts use many different definitions for the Sahel region. However, the ongoing changes of the global and the regional security and the complexity of the crisis of the Sahel region bring up the question whether the Sahel region is a unit based on the Regional Security Complex Theory or not? Which countries are part of the Sahel? Can it be treated as a region? In this article I will give my answer to that question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential trace metal that plays a central role in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) as the cofactor in the conventional form of the nitrogenase enzyme. The low availability of Mo in soils often constrains BNF in many terrestrial ecosystems. Atmospheric sources may supply a critical source of exogenous Mo to regions with highly weathered soils likely low in Mo, particularly in tropical forests where BNF is thought to be high. Here, we present results of a global model of Mo deposition that considers the principal natural sources of atmospheric Mo—windborne mineral dust, sea-salt aerosols, and volcanic sources—which operate over geologic time. The largest source of mineral dust globally is from North Africa. We quantified Mo concentrations in dust and sediments from the Bodélé Depression, a large source within North Africa, to constrain our model. Because the Mo concentration of seawater is relatively high for a trace element, we also hypothesized that sea-salt aerosols would contribute atmospheric Mo. Our model predicts higher Mo deposition to terrestrial ecosystems along coasts downstream in trade winds, near active volcanoes, and in areas that receive dust deposition from North Africa, such as the northern Amazon Basin, the Caribbean, and Central America. Regions with higher Mo deposition tend to be areas where BNF has previously been measured. The lowest Mo deposition occurs in the high latitudes, northern parts of North America, Western Australia, Southern Africa, and much of central South America. Atmospheric transport of Mo likely plays an important role in supplying Mo to ecosystems across geologic time, particularly in regions with highly weathered soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Despite the efforts of nutrition stakeholders in Burkina Faso to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, the country is still struggling to stem undernutrition. Wasting, or acute malnutrition, is the form of malnutrition that has the most harmful short-term consequences for children. The objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of wasting in children aged 6-23 months in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso and to identify its associated factors. METHODS: we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2015 National Nutrition Survey. The factors associated with wasting in the studied population were identified using a logistic regression. RESULTS: a total of 956 children participated in the study. The prevalence of wasting was 25% (95% CI [22.28, 27.87]) in the Sahel region. Only 24.37% of children received a minimum meal frequency and 13.38% received a minimum dietary diversification the day before the survey. In the multivariate analysis, being male (aOR = 1.99; 95% CI [1.46, 2.72]), breastfeeding the day before the survey (aOR = 2.43; 95% CI [1.13, 5.22]), and having a history of illness (aOR = 2.32; 95% CI [1.67, 3.21]) significantly increased the risk of acute malnutrition. CONCLUSION: in 2015, the prevalence of wasting among children was high in the Sahel region and good IYCF practices were still inadequate. There is an urgent need to implement good IYCF practices and strengthen interventions to improve infant health in this region.

The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the G5 Sahel Joint Force are ad hoc counterterrorism task forces in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel region, respectively. These new task forces enjoy significant international capacity-building support, especially from France and the United States. This article shows that capacity-building actions, while fostering the operationalization of the MNJTF and the G5 Sahel Joint Force, nevertheless have several limitations. Capacity-building counterterrorism initiatives tend to favor security-focused strategies at the expense of efforts that could tackle the structural challenges that fuel terrorism. Such actions are also likely to incentivize dysfunctional practices on the part of security forces and political regimes in recipient countries. It is imperative for major outside players to work with African countries by promoting social and economic development projects, respect for civil rights and freedoms, as well as the community engagement of security forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: despite the efforts of nutrition stakeholders in Burkina Faso to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, the country is still struggling to stem undernutrition. Wasting, or acute malnutrition, is the form of malnutrition that has the most harmful short-term consequences for children. The objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of wasting in children aged 6-23 months in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso and to identify its associated factors. Methods: we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2015 National Nutrition Survey. The factors associated with wasting in the studied population were identified using a logistic regression. Results: a total of 956 children participated in the study. The prevalence of wasting was 25% (95% CI [22.28, 27.87]) in the Sahel region. Only 24.37% of children received a minimum meal frequency and 13.38% received a minimum dietary diversification the day before the survey. In the multivariate analysis, being male (aOR = 1.99; 95% CI [1.46, 2.72]), breastfeeding the day before the survey (aOR = 2.43; 95% CI [1.13, 5.22]), and having a history of illness (aOR = 2.32; 95% CI [1.67, 3.21]) significantly increased the risk of acute malnutrition. Conclusion: in 2015, the prevalence of wasting among children was high in the Sahel region and good IYCF practices were still inadequate. There is an urgent need to implement good IYCF practices and strengthen interventions to improve infant health in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Military Science Review / Hadtudományi Szemle is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) has an overall objective of fighting desert encroachment through proven practices of sustainable management of land, and the reinforcement and protection of natural resources and systems of production and transformation, while also ensuring socio-economic development of local communities through multi-purpose activity platforms. The activities described in the present study are designed to accomplish several goals: (1) generate wealth, (2) strengthen access to basic social services, (3) manage the transition to a green economy as a means of creating suitable conditions for the emergence of rural production centers, (4) integrate sustainable development in order to eradicate poverty and food insecurity, and (5) strengthen adaptation and resilience capacities of local populations. The present study was undertaken on the basis of a wide variety of available publications and documentation, including articles and scientific papers, thesis, meeting summaries and reports, concerning the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative/GGWI in Senegal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]