The advance of the Hydra

David Cristiano Aguado

1.1. Sahelian metastasis: A scenario of sovereign vacuums

Timeframe: 05/01/2010 – 28/04/2026

Togo · Conflict Prevention · Issue I

Key Insights

• How and why jihadist violence spread to Benin and Togo — Structural weaknesses across the Sahel created power vacuums that terrorist groups like JNIM exploited.
• Why local populations are vulnerable to recruitment. As the state is largely absent, Jihadist groups fill this gap by acting as alternative governance providers and offering economic incentives.
• The geopolitical stakes and two possible futures — The retreat of Western powers and the fracturing of regional security institutions.

Definition

THE consequence of structural socio-political weakness

In conclusion, terrorism in Benin and Togo is not an isolated phenomenon, but a symptom of a regional governance crisis.

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