Video: Violent Extremism and State Fragility in the Sahel
Over the past decade, the Sahel has experienced a precipitous deterioration in its security landscape, with the region accounting for over half of terrorism-related deaths worldwide in 2025 and a wave of military coups carried out in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.
On March 30, 2026, the Kent Global Leadership Program, the Conflict Resolution Collective (CRC) and the SIPA Pan-African Network (SPAN) hosted a panel discussion to explore the drivers and implications of this security deterioration. By bringing together a range of experts with experience and understanding of these dynamics, this panel attempted to create a deeper understanding of the factors shaping the region’s evolving security landscape and their local, regional, and global implications.
Panelists:
- Arthur Boutellis - IPI non-resident fellow, SIPA adjunct faculty, former UN negotiator in Mali
- Amb. Kamissa Camara - Former Foreign Minister of Mali, Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan
- Andrew Lebovich - Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
- Lori-Anne Théroux-Bénoni - Senior Research and Policy Advisor at the Institute for Security Studies
Moderated by:
- Jean-Marie Guéhenno - Arnold A. Saltzman Professor of Practice in International and Public Affairs; Director of SIPA’s Kent Global Leadership Program on Conflict Resolution