More than a decade since he came to power, Senegalese President Macky Sall is viewed as aloof and distant by the same citizens who propelled him to victory in 2012. He is now rumored to be considering a third-term bid, despite deepening social tensions and protests denouncing corruption, the high cost of living and human rights abuses.
Ten years after France launched its military intervention in Mali to oust jihadist militants, its influence in West Africa’s Sahel region is waning. Against this backdrop, French President Emmanuel Macron outlined a new “framework for security cooperation” last month as part of a new approach to relations with African countries.
Mali’s government is struggling to assert its authority as more communities fall to various Islamist groups. After a decade of faltering counterinsurgency efforts, it might be time to take a closer look at the biggest obstacle to stability —the Malian state’s chronic inability to counteract shadow governance structures.