The Economist - UK (2021-11-20)

The Economist November 20th 2021 53

Middle East & Africa

JihadisminAfrica

Sahel in a handbasket

W

hen un peacekeepersroll  out  into
the sand and scrub beyond their bas­
es  in  Gao  in  northern  Mali,  locals  loosen
veils  and  light  cigarettes.  When  British
peacekeepers  camped  near  one  village,
people  held  a  joyous  wedding  with  danc­
ing and singing, both of which had waned
under  the  influence  of  the  jihadists  bat­
tling for control of the area. Outgunned by
the British detachment, the insurgents “try
to  be  where  we  are  not”,  says  Major  Gavin
Hudson, one of its officers. 
In much of northern Mali the state and
its  security  forces  are  completely  absent.
So when the blue helmets move on, safety
goes with them. At dusk one evening in Au­
gust jihadists swept into the town of Outta­
gouna, about 170km (106 miles) from Gao.
They gunned down at least 54 young men.
Peacekeepers  arrived  the  next  morning
but, laments Major Hudson, they were too
late to be of much use.
The  biggest  Western  fight  against  jiha­
dists is now in Mali, Niger and Burkina Fa­
so.  France has  about  5,000  soldiers  fight­

ing  in  the  region,  backed  by  about  1,000

American  troops.  Hundreds  of  European

commandos help them and train the Mali­

an army. The unhas almost 15,000 peace­

keepers. Yet even with these forces arrayed

against  them,  the  insurgents  have  spread

relentlessly  across  Mali  and  deep  into

neighbouring  Niger  and  Burkina  Faso.

More  than  2m  people  have  been  forced

from  their  homes  and  more  than  10,000

killed in the past two years (see chart).

In short, the region’s governments and

their Western backers are slowly losing the

war.  Many  of  the  reasons  can  be  seen  in

Mali, where the insurgency first took root

under  a  corrupt  government  focused  on

the capital, Bamako, at the expense of the

rest  of  the  country.  Across  much  of  Mali

there are no police, judges, teachers or nur­

ses.  unpeacekeepers  recently  flew  a  re­

gional  governor  to  a  village  in  the  north­

east to meet his people. For one 61­year­old

villager  it  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  he

had  ever  seen  anyone  representing  the

state. In 2018 fully 75% of civil servants (in­

cluding  teachers  and  nurses)  were  in  the

capital,  on  which  the  government  sho­

wered 80% of its spending even though it

is home to roughly 13% of the population.

The authorities have, in effect, outsourced

the war to France and the un, withdrawing

their forces from large parts of the country.

In areas where there is no state and crimi­

nality is rife, jihadists are able to win sup­

port by offering justice, even if it is brutal. 

In Burkina Faso and Niger, too, jihadists

flourish in places where the state is absent

or where they have been able to force it out.

Since  2018  insurgents  in  the  borderlands

between  the  three  countries  have  assassi­

nated or abducted 300 officials, communi­

ty leaders and their family members.

Most  analysts  argue  that  the  jihadists

will not be beaten by force alone, and that

improved  governance  and  economic  de­

velopment are essential to win the state le­

gitimacy.  But  where  to  start  with  a  state

that  has  done  so  much  to  delegitimise  it­

self?  In  2020,  after  the  government

claimed victory in a dodgy legislative elec­

tion,  thousands  of  people  took  to  the

B AMAKO AND GAO
The fight against Muslim extremists is going badly in Mali

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