Weaving The Demography, Peace and Security Nexus In The Sahel

MABINGUE NGOM

“THE SAHEL is facing one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world – and yet one of the most forgotten.” This is how the United Nations describes the region bordering the Maghreb and Equatorial Africa. Some 1.5 million people are displaced in the region owing to insecurity.

As of 9 July 2020, the Sahel had 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 834,428 refugees, asylum seekers, and 650,391 returnees in dire need of assistance.

The UN further notes that in the Liptarko-Gourma region, in Central Sahel, the conflict has all the elements of escalation. Liptako-Gourma is a tri-border region that covers an expansive area of around 370,000 square kilometres casing over northern and eastern Burkina Faso, spanning across central and northern Mali and extending over to east Niger. This expanse is known for rich mineral resources, water, energy and agricultural potential that has become a hot spot of