Geopolityczne uwarunkowania bezpieczeństwa w regionie Sahelu
Geopolitical security factors in the Sahel region

Summary/Abstract: The Sahel is a region of strategic importance. From the geographical point of view, it marks the boundary between “White North Africa” and “Black Sub-Saharan Africa”. From the political point of view, it is an area where various interests collide - those of the states and communities of the subregion, as well as those of external actors, both states parties (China, USA, France) and non-states parties (Al-Qaeda). International drug, illegal arms, and human traffi cking routes into Europe via Maghreb cross in the Sahel region. Taking into consideration the issue of international security, it is important to highlight that radical Islamic groups operate in the inaccessible and diffi cult to control Sahelo-Saharan desert. The article discusses factors present in the Sahel that have an impact on regional and international security. The main attention is paid to economic, political and social factors which determine the weakness of the Sahel states. The paper also includes an analysis of the US administration’s programmes implemented in the region, which are part of the “Global War on Terrorism” campaign.

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