Information
Between 2020 and 2023, military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger pushed Europe out of the Sahel region, with Russia, China and the United States stepping in to fill the gap. This shift has not brought stability, as jihadist violence and cross-border tensions continue to define the region. The EU is now attempting to redefine its role through security partnerships, economic investment and energy cooperation, signing agreements with countries like Ghana and committing hundreds of millions of euros to Nigeria through its Global Gateway Initiative.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that the bloc’s approach is rooted in long-term partnership rather than transactional deal-making, arguing that African prosperity directly reduces migration pressure on Europe. However, experts point out that the EU still lacks a clear strategy for the Sahel specifically, with a planned €195 million development fund currently on hold due to French resistance. Analysts suggest the EU must re-engage diplomatically with the juntas and pursue pragmatic, targeted cooperation if it hopes to rebuild any meaningful influence in the region.
Source: DW
So What
The EU’s struggle to establish a coherent Sahel strategy is likely driven by competing national priorities among member states, most notably France, which continues to resist collective EU engagement in a region it has historically dominated and where it feels the acute loss of influence tied to its colonial legacy. This internal friction is compounding an already difficult operating environment, as Western conditions attached to aid, including democratic governance and human rights standards, are increasingly being undercut by Russia and China, both of whom offer support to the juntas with no such requirements. As a result, the EU finds itself at a strategic disadvantage, unable to move quickly due to internal disagreement and unable to compete on the same terms as rivals willing to engage the military governments unconditionally.
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