Strategic Reorientation

Nils Neubert

The Potential of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to Reshape Security and Stability

Timeframe: 01/12/2013 – 01/05/2025

Alliance of Sahel States (AES) · Alliance Building · Issue VI

Key Insights

• The Sahel is undergoing a profound geopolitical shift. Nils A. Neubert examines how the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has broken from Western security partners, turning instead to Russia and Turkey. While AES’s joint military force improves operational flexibility, authoritarian counterterrorism and ethnic militias risk fueling jihadist recruitment. Without political inclusion and sustainable governance, Neubert argues, lasting stability remains elusive.

Definition

The Sahel: A semi-arid African region south of the Sahara, spanning from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, facing droughts and conflicts.

Reliance on Russian support seems to be detrimental regarding the long-term goal of stability.

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