Multi-level governance and regional security: an analysis of Operation Barkhane and the G5 Sahel Joint Force
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/2357797596210Keywords:
Sahel, Regional security, Multi-level governance, G5 Sahel, ParadiplomacyAbstract
The Sahel has emerged as a key epicenter of contemporary geopolitical instability, characterized by overlapping security, humanitarian, and environmental crises. In response to the transnational nature of threats and state fragility, this article examines regional security in the Sahel through the lenses of Regional Security Complex Theory, multi-level governance, and paradiplomacy. Focusing on the Joint Force of the G5 Sahel and its interaction with Operation Barkhane, the article argues that the Sahel represents a laboratory of fragmented and multiscalar security governance. Using a qualitative approach, it shows that while the G5 Sahel reflects an effort toward regional ownership of security, its operation within a hybrid architecture remains heavily dependent on external actors, generating tensions between international cooperation, regional autonomy, and political legitimacy.
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