The Rise of Secession Movements in West Africa and Its Security Impact on the Region
Abstract
West African countries have experienced the rise of secession movements given their independence with significant impact upon their stability. Some scholars have targeted ethnic marginalization, bad governance and poverty as being key factors to be addressed if the desire of the people to secede is to be reduced. However, the recent escalation of the separatist movements in Mali and associated terrorist activities has destabilized the country, and the West African region, and calls for long term solutions. This paper analyzes factors that have been addressed by Niger and Senegal in order to avoid the Tuareg 2012 uprising in Mali and the escalation of the secession movements in the southern Casamance region in Senegal. Factors such as grievance mitigation, successful decentralized policy, sound insurgency mitigation strategy and good diplomacy need to be addressed in order to mitigate this rise in secessionist sentiments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1084114
Entities
People
- Mousbaou Atcha Boukari
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College