Understanding the Sahel Crisis: An Environmental Approach

The Sahel region has faced various conflicts for many years and has defied several peacekeeping strategies. Since 2012, the crisis continues to cost the lives of many and destroy valuable property in the region. Between 2012 and 2019, the region, comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has experienced 1,463 armed clashes, with 4,723 civilians killed at the hands of 195 violent armed groups in 1,263 separate locations, most of whom were civilians. This article employs the Human Needs Theory as the framework for understanding the issue, helps to explain why people behave in certain ways when their needs are not available. This theory assumes that all humans have certain basic universal needs and when these are not met conflict is likely to occur. With this theoretical lens, the article seeks to examine the environmental factors of human needs and how they propel the crisis in the region. The research found that environmental need and the crisis are positively related. Thus, the more the environmental needs are not met, the more difficult it is to end the crisis.