The Sahel Wars and the Crisis of the 2010s - With Andrew Lebovich

In the wake of the near collapse of the global financial system in 2008 the post-Cold War order was upended by a convergence of crises in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Beginning our series exploring this Crisis of the 2010s, we have been joined by Clingendael Institute Research Fellow Andrew Lebovich to explore the turmoil that engulfed communities across the Sahel and West Africa during this tumultuous period.

The near collapse of the Malian state in the face of an insurgent offensive in January 2013 triggered a French-led European military intervention as well as wider regional instability that became intertwined with conflicts in every other state in the region. The rapid escalation of insurgencies, military coups and creeping involvement of Russian mercenaries and other external actors became symptoms of deeper structural pressures that have reshaped West African politics. As a scholar with extensive experience of the history and politics of West Africa, Andrew Lebovich can help guide us through the social roots of the crises that turned the Sahel region into one of the central geopolitical flashpoints of the 2010s.

The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.