Symposium: Taking Stock of the Sahelian Jihads: Motivations, Impacts, Responses

Upcoming 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 epicenter of militant Islamist activity in Africa since the collapse of Mali in 2012. In the crucible of a facilitating international environment and domestic state weakness, violent […]

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 political challenges. On 28 February 2025, with no advance notice, we were informed that our research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Initiative on the impact of climate […]

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 timely manner. Yet, transport infrastructure itself can also become a major target for rebels and violent extremists. This new OECD report examines how the competition for the control of transport infrastructure between […]

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 and Christians on University Campuses. With K.D. Thompson, Frédérick Madore, Ebenezer Obadare, Leonardo Villalón and Marius Kothor 1:30-3:15, Denver. Regime Protectors, Counter-Terrorism Forces, or Coup Plotters? Understanding […]

Third Annual Sahel Symposium: “Creating a Safe Space for Analysts, Activists and Scholars”

Third Annual Sahel Symposium: “Creating a Safe Space for Analysts, Activists and Scholars” University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group & International Crisis Group’s Sahel Project West Africa Research Center, Dakar, Senegal, May 13-14, 2024 About the SRG/ICG annual symposium For the past two years, the University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group (SRG) and the International […]

Urbanisation and Conflicts in North and West Africa

Urbanisation and Conflicts in North and West Africa Just published! Urbanization has not led to an increase in urban violence in North and West Africa. Quite the opposite. A new OECD report published today shows that political violence is becoming more rural on both sides of the Sahara. The expansion of Jihadist insurgencies explains this […]

Social & Institutional Determinants of Vulnerability & Resilience to Climate Hazards in the Sahel

The Sahel Research Group has been awarded a $1.6 million grant to study the impact of climate change in West Africa, this project was one of 17 grants selected from 220 applications by the Minerva Research Initiative.

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