Scramble for the Sahel

THE SAHEL IS NO LONGER A CHESSBOARD ON WHICH THE STRUGGLES BETWEEN THE WEST AND RUSSIA PLAY OUT

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As Western governments lament their waning influence across the Sahel - France handed over its last base in Chad in January, effectively ending its military presence in the region - they cling to an outdated narrative.

The Sahel is no longer a chessboard on which the struggles between the West and Russia play out. More importantly, it is now the site of a contest between Algeria and Morocco, two North African powers vying for strategic dominance.

While the world watches Russia's Africa Corps, the Wagner Group's successor, expand its footprint in the Sahel, it overlooks the more permanent and transformative presence of Algeria and Morocco. For these economies, with a combined GDP of over $418 billion, the region is not a distant frontier for proxy battles; rather, it is an important trade corridor and key source of minerals, making it critical to their national and economic security.

For decades, the Sahel's orientation was a foregone conclusion, shaped by its postcolonial ties to France and the security architecture of the US-led global war on terror. But that era is over. The widespread frustration with Western intervention has resulted in eight military coups across

West and Central Africa since 2020. Algeria and Morocco have stepped into the resulting power vacuum, each with a distinct vision for bringing the region into its economic orbit.