Accession Number:

AD1084114

Title:

The Rise of Secession Movements in West Africa and Its Security Impact on the Region

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,14 Aug 2017,15 Jun 2018

Corporate Author:

US Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth United States

Personal Author(s):

• Atcha Boukari ,Mousbaou

Report Date:

2018-06-15

Pagination or Media Count:

114.0

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.

Descriptors:

• west Africa
• national security
• nigeria
• military strategy
• military operations
• Foreign government
• insurgency
• diplomacy
• terrorists
• foreign relations

Subject Categories:

• Government and Political Science

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE