Beyond Mali: Understanding the sources and prospects of instability in Northern Africa

The Stimson Center recently joined with the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs and the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre to host an experts roundtable seminar titled “Beyond Mali: Understanding the Sources and Prospects of Instability in Northern Africa.”

The roundtable gathered experts from Europe, Northern Africa, the United States and the Sahel to analyze the sources of instability in the Sahel and Maghreb, including a lack of adequate governance, the presence of armed opposition and transnational extremist groups, illicit trafficking routes, ineffective international development, peacebuilding/statebuilding, and security interventions. Experts discussed how these factors are impacting the security dynamics between Sahel and Maghreb countries.

The roundtable report highlights specific areas that the experts identified as requiring further consideration by national, regional and international policy and decision makers. The Stimson Center, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs and Norwegian Peacebulding Resource Centre hope to continue to undertake academic and policy research to address some of the knowledge gaps in support of more effective national, regional and international interventions.

To read the full seminar report, click here.

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Photo courtesy Staff Sergeant Samuel Bendet, U.S. Africa Command