Publication

This policy brief discusses some of the various push and pull factors that have led to the rise of violent extremism in the Sahel-Sahara region, focusing on ethnic and religious radicalization and its growing overlap with violent militancy. The author contends that weak governance in the region, fluid borders, and the resulting power vacuums facilitate the geographic expansion of violent extremists. Furthermore, as violence spills over from neighboring conflicts, border communities are turned into centers of ethnic conflict, cross-border militancy, and organized crime. He then makes a set of recommendations for how governments and the international community can alleviate the specific push and pull factors of radicalization.