In 2015, Olivier Hanne, an Islamologist and Associate Researcher at the University of Aix-Marseille, described what he regarded as “the most probable scenario for 2020 in the Sahel”. In his book Jihad in the Sahel co-authored with training officer Guillaume Larabi, he foresaw an expansion of armed terrorist groups in the Sahel at the expense of the national government authorities. Their predictions have already been confirmed by reality.
The interview below was conducted by Thomas Oswald of Aid to the Church in Need, France.
ACN: Instead of disengaging from the Sahel, France has just announced the sending of further reinforcements of 600 men for Operation Barkhane (the on-going French anti-insurgent operation in the Sahel). Can you see any way out of the crisis in the Sahel?