Voter Registration Bureau, Burkina Faso (2015)

Our Team

Senegalese Fisherman Off The Coast of Dakar

Sultan’s palace, Niger

Millet Field, Saloum Islands Senegal

Our Weekly Sahel Seminar

Coming up on 25 October Dr. Bruce Whitehouse from Lehigh University will be talking about Marriage and Women’s Rights in Mali. His presentation will draw from his latest book titled: Enduring Polygamy. Plural Marriage and Social Change in African Metropolis. The seminar will take place in the SRG office, 109 Rolfs Hall from 11:45 to […]

Welcome!

The Sahel Research Group at the University of Florida is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort to understand the political, social, religious, economic, environmental and cultural dynamics of the countries of the West African Sahel.

Our focus is primarily on the six Francophone countries of the region—Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. We are also interested in developments in neighboring countries, to the north and south, whose dynamics frequently intersect with those of the Sahel.

In addition to presenting information on our work and activities, we hope that this website will serve as a resource for scholars, students and policy makers interested in the Sahel. Follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook or subscribe to our Weekly News Brief

News and Recent Activities

New publication: Intersectionality Matters
Intersectionality matters. An analysis of women’s empowerment among livestock holders in Nepal, Senegal and Uganda This new paper focuses on the intersection between gender and caste ...
Symposium: Taking Stock of the Sahelian Jihads: Motivations, Impacts, Responses
SRG-ICG Symposium: Taking Stock of the Sahelian Jihads: Motivations, Impacts, Responses 4-5 April 2025 Gainesville, FL Long a peaceful—if poor and underdeveloped—region, the Sahel has tragically become the ...
Standing up for a science that matters
The Sahel Research Group at the University of Florida joins colleagues around the world in “Standing up for Science” in the face of the current ...
Roads and Conflicts in North and West Africa
Transport infrastructure is critical in armed conflicts. A dense infrastructure network allows states to provide services to the civilian population and defeat insurgents in a ...
Sahel Research Group at ASA 2024
Annual meeting 2024, Chicago, IL University of Florida Sahel Research Group talks Thursday December 12 10:15-12:00, Purdue. Author Meets Critic: Faith-based Student Activism in Togo and Benin: Muslims ...