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 Research: Reassessing Democracy in Niger (2000–2025) by Leonardo Villalón
We are excited to share a new contribution to the study of African politics from Leonardo Villalón. In the recently released volume, Democracy in Sub-Saharan ... - New Research on Local Trajectories and the Strategic Power of Borderlands
Two new blog posts from colleagues Dr. Steven Radil and Dr. Olivier Walther reveal that local violence is not a random series of events, but ... - “Political Movements in North Africa and the Sahel” Workshop (POMEPS/CGIS)
On February 20, the Sahel Research Group joined a high-level exchange at the “Political Movements in North Africa and the Sahel” workshop. Hosted by the UF ... - Workshop on climate change in Dakar
Our colleagues from the Sahel Research Group project on the impact of climate change in the Sahel are meeting in Dakar in February with their ... - 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 ...
The Sahelian countries
Move over a country to see its population, capital and area.
