The European Union response to peace and international security threats in the Sahel: An evaluation from the crisis management operations deployed in the region

Abstract

In recent years, the troubled Sahel region has become an area of crisis and conflict, where conditions of poverty and social instability have facilitated the conduct of activities related to international organized crime, and thus harming peace and security in much of the African continent. Mainly shaken by the actions of Islamic terrorist groups and drug trafficking, it is still a region of particular interest for Spain and the European Union, not only because of its geographical proximity, but also because of its significant geostrategic and economic potential. In 2011, the European Union Foreign Affairs Council adopted the Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel. This document proposed policy interventions that would better integrate the development and security dimensions of European Union policies. Since the adoption of the Strategy, three crisis management operations have been deployed in the region within its framework: two civilian missions, the EUCAP Sahel Niger and the EUCAP Sahel Mali, and one military operation, the EUTM Mali.Through an overall assessment of the development and impact of the aboved mentioned operations, we could assess the effectiveness of the Union's response to the threats to peace and security that affect the region.