Er islamismen i Sahel-landene en trussel mod Europa?

The Sahel region, which spans the countries of the Sahara that lie in between East, West and North African complexes, encompasses some of the world’s poorest states and most incapable governments.

In the 21st century the international policy prism on the Sahel region has however gradually changed. Protracted ill performance of state agencies, rampant corruption, and a massive youth bulges are but some of the structural conditions that recently have paved the way for the proliferation of militant groups and movements in the region.

While some of these groups have strictly local objectives and motivations, others align with global and transnational militant Islamist groups like Al-Qaida and Boko Haram.

At this DIIS-seminar, we invite a number of international experts and scholars on transnational militant Islamism in the regions to analyse how the groups and movements interconnect with their sister movements and groups in North-, East- and West Africa.

And we raise the question whether and how such interconnections pose a particular threat to European security.

The seminar forms part of the Sahel-Maghreb Research Platform, which is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hosted by DIIS with support from Voluntas Advisory. You can see the project page here.

The conference will be held in English and French (one presentation with English summary).

Speakers

Ladiba Gondeu, Lecturer, University of N’Djamena, Chad

Djallil Lounas, Assistant Professor, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco

Luis Martinez, Senior Research Fellow, Sciences Po

Zekeria Ould Salem, Professor of political science, University of Nouakchott, Mauritania

Lémine Ould Mohamed Salem, Sahel correspondent for “La Tribune de Genève” and “Sud-Ouest”

Rasmus Alenius Boserup, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Programme

09.00-09.10

Introduction

Rasmus Alenius Boserup

09.10-09.35

Jihadism in the Sahel and North Africa

Zekeria Ould Salem

09.35-10.00

Boko Haram and the Lake Chad connection to the Sahel

Ladiba Gondeu

10.00-10.20

Coffee break

10.20-10.45

Convergences and divergences between militant islamism in North Africa

Djallil Lounnas

10.45-11.10

Mokhtar Belmokhtar and the spread of jihadism in the Sahel

(in French with English summary)

Lémine Ould Mohamed Salem

11.10-11:20

Further perspectives on jihadism in Sahel-Maghreb

Discussant: Luis Martinez

11.20-12.00

Q&A with panellists