The Sahel is grappling with one of the world’s most severe security crises, yet its challenges should not obscure its potential as a region of “opportunity and hope,” according to Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the UN Secretary‑General’s Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel.
In an interview with Anadolu in Dakar, Dieye said the dominant narrative of violence—driven by extremist groups, ethnic tensions and fragile governance—only tells part of the story.
“The Sahel is deeper and bigger than the crisis aspect. It is also a zone of opportunity and hope,” he said. “That does not mean I downplay the crisis, which is real and acute.”
Roots of the Crisis
Dieye traced the region’s instability to the aftermath of Libya’s collapse, which he said unleashed arms and fighters across the Sahel. Mali, in particular, has been in turmoil since 2012, caught between separatist factions and jihadist groups.
“The world has an enormous debt to the Sahelian countries, and this debt is not yet paid,” he stressed.
Poverty, Not Ideology
The UN envoy argued that the recruitment of young men into terrorist groups is driven largely by poverty and neglect, not religious fanaticism.
“Most of the young former fighters I spoke to had no jobs, no future and no real knowledge of the Quran,” Dieye said. “They joined because the groups offered them money. What we see as terrorism is, in essence, an economic problem.”
Despite vast natural resources—including gold, cotton and other minerals—Sahelian states have failed to manage their wealth effectively, he added. Mali alone, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, could double its GDP with better governance of its mining sector.
“These countries are not poor. Mismanagement of resources has been disastrous,” he said.
“Terrorism Has No Borders”
Dieye warned that extremist violence has spread far beyond Mali, affecting countries from Benin and Togo to Côte d’Ivoire. He noted Senegal’s investments in education, infrastructure and border security as a model for resilience.
The UN is backing cross-border development programs that link Mauritania, Senegal and Mali, as well as Senegal with Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, to fortify the communities most vulnerable to extremist influence.
“Terrorism grows in the spaces where three borders meet,” he said. “That is why we focus there.”
He also credited Senegal’s powerful Sufi orders—the Tijaniyya and Mouridiyya—for bolstering social stability and opposing violence.
Turkey’s Expanding Role
Looking ahead, Dieye sees Turkey as a key partner in Sahelian development. He highlighted Ankara’s soft diplomacy and technological expertise as tools to engage young people in advanced industries, particularly in mining and technology.
“Turkey is known for its technological development. This is a promising field for investment,” he said, adding that the UN is ready to facilitate partnerships between Ankara and Sahelian nations.
With this collaboration, he argued, Turkey could emerge as one of the region’s top development and commercial partners.