#sahel

A rapid geopolitical shift in Africa's Sahel region sees military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expel Western forces and embrace Russian security support. This pivot is exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis and creating a haven for extremist groups. For Canada, the instability threatens decades of development aid, puts billions of dollars in Canadian mining investments at severe risk, and forces a fundamental reassessment of its diplomatic and security strategy in West Africa. Ottawa faces difficult choices as its traditional partners are replaced by regimes aligned with Moscow.

One year after a military coup, Niger is cementing its alliance with Russia, forcing the final withdrawal of U.S. troops and dismantling a key pillar of Western counter-terrorism strategy in Africa's Sahel region. This geopolitical pivot creates a security vacuum, threatening to fuel extremist violence and destabilize neighbouring countries. For Canada, the shift jeopardizes decades of investment in humanitarian aid and democratic development, complicates the operating environment for Canadian businesses in West Africa, and represents a significant setback for its foreign policy objectives in a continent increasingly contested by global powers.