Panel discussion: Volatility in the Sahel

Frontline Club

The Sahel’s spiralling humanitarian and security crises

FRONTLINE CLUB 2024

A series of events organised and run by the Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place Paddington W2 1QJ
The Frontline Club was founded in 2003 by Frontline TV Cameraman Vaughan Smith 
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All is not well in the central Sahel region of Africa.Since 2011, jihadist insurgencies driven by al-Qaida and IS-affiliated groups have progressively engulfed Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. As of 2024, the region has become the world’s new epicentre of jihadist activity, accounting for over half of all deaths from terrorism worldwide. The Sahel is also home to the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises, with over two million internally displaced persons in Burkina Faso alone and thousands killed across the region every year. Capitalising on popular discontent, military juntas have seized and consolidated power in recent years, violently cracking down on dissent and instrumentalising regional and international alliances. Meanwhile, the region has become an unexpected arena of geopolitical competition between global powers vying for influence. As the juntas have distanced themselves from long standing allies such as France and the U.S., Russia has cemented its sway and the presence of its paramilitary forces.After years of worsening violence and political upheaval, the Sahel is now facing a turning point. Jihadist groups are inching ever closer to the region’s capitals, violence continues to spiral, and struggling Sahelian juntas face an uncertain future while Moscow’s shadow continues to loom over the region. *photo credit Finbarr O'Reilly

In her two decade career, Sam Mednick has reported on and investigated conflicts, crises, and human rights abuses from more than twenty countries, mainly across Africa and the Middle East. She is currently the West and Central Africa correspondent for The Associated Press in Dakar. Prior to becoming staff with AP, Mednick was based in South Sudan and Burkina Faso, freelancing for AP and doing investigations for outlets such as The New Humanitarian, The Guardian, VICE, Al-Jazeera English among others. She also reported from the front lines in Ukraine and has covered the war in Israel. During her five years reporting in and on the Sahel, Mednick covered three military coups and broke stories about sexual slavery in gold mines, military abuses against civilians and secret ceasefire negotiations between the authorities and jihadists.

Jonathan Rosenthal is an award-winning journalist and speaker. He is currently The Economist's International Editor. In his previous role as the magazine's Africa Editor, he oversaw the coverage of sub-Saharan Africa with a team of journalists in the field. Jonathan is also a regular speaker and moderator on Africa, and he has written several special reports on the continent. In 2008 he won Feature of the Year at the WorkWorld Media Awards, and the following year he was named Reporter of the Year. He has appeared on television and radio in several countries including BBC News 24, Sky and on ITV’s “Tonight” among others.

Constantin Gouvy has worked as a conflict researcher and journalist in Africa and the Middle East for close to a decade. He is currently a Sahel researcher with The Clingendael Institute’s Conflict Research Unit where he advises governments, diplomats, and NGOs on conflict dynamics and political upheaval across the region. Prior to this, Constantin was a consultant with the International Crisis Group, and a freelance journalist reporting chiefly from conflict-afflicted states such as Burkina Faso, Iraq, and Syria for outlets including Libération, Al-Jazeera English, Associated Press, and The New Humanitarian.

Aanu Adeoye is West and Central Africa correspondent for the Financial Times based in Lagos, where he covers politics, business and foreign affairs in the Ecowas member states. He was previously an academy fellow at Chatham House where he researched Russia-Africa affairs.