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West African Studies Studies African West An Atlas of the Sahara-Sahel A GEOGRAPHY, ECONOMICS AND SECURITY T West African Studies A While the Sahara-Sahel region has experienced recurrent episodes of instability, the recent crises in Libya GLANCE and Mali have increased the level of violence. These two crises have reshaped the region’s geopolitical and geographical dynamics. The current crises are cross-border and regional, and addressing them requires new institutional responses. How can the countries that share this space – Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mali, Morocco, An Atlas of the Sahara-Sahel Mauritania, Niger and Tunisia – in collaboration with other countries of the region, such as Nigeria, work together towards its stabilisation and development? GEOGRAPHY, ECONOMICS AND SECURITY Historically, the Sahara plays the role of intermediary between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Even before Roman times, the area was criss-crossed by roads, principally serving a military use in this period. Today, commercial and human exchange is vibrant, founded on social networks. These networks have more recently been used by traffickers. Understanding the nature of this trafficking, the geographic and organisational mobility of criminal groups, as well as migratory movements is of strategic importance. This work aims to contribute towards this objective and to help inform the Sahel strategies of the European Union, United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) in their attempts to forge a lasting peace. This Atlas proposes a cartographic and regional analysis of security and development issues. It provides objective information for the necessary dialogue between regional and international organisations, states, researchers and local stakeholders. An Atlas of the Sahara-Sahel Part I. Reactivating a space of fragmented circulation Chapter 1. Sahara-Sahelian space and geography Chapter 2. Socio-economic indicators within Sahara-Sahel countries Chapter 3. Petroleum and networks of influence in the Sahara-Sahel Part II. Securing the Sahara-Sahel by integrating its social and spatial mobility Chapter 4. Ancient and new mobility in the Sahara-Sahel Chapter 5. Migration and the Sahara Chapter 6. Nomadism and mobility in the Sahara-Sahel Chapter 7. Borders, cross-border co-operation and freedom of movement in the Sahara-Sahel GEO Chapter 8. Security issues, movement and networks in the Sahara-Sahel G R Chapter 9. Trafficking economies in the Sahara-Sahel A PHY, Chapter 10. An institutional point of view on the challenges of the Sahara-Sahel E CONOMIC S A ND SECURITYND Consult this publication on line at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264222359-en. This work is published on the OECD iLibrary, which gathers all OECD books, periodicals and statistical databases. Visit www.oecd-ilibrary.org for more information. ISBN 978-92-64-22234-2 44 2014 01 1 P SAHEL AND 9HSTCQE*cccdec+ WEST AFRICA Club Secretariat Secrétariat du DU SAHEL ET DE Club L'AFRIQUE DE L'OU EST About The Atlas builds on maps and statistics to analyse, from Five leading personalities complete the publication by a regional perspective, the challenges facing the Sahara- expressing the region’s key challenges with regard to their Sahel. It describes the Sahara-Sahelian space and geography Sahel strategies. (Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia), reveals some socio-economic indicators of The Atlas is available in English and French, and the analysis the area and decrypts the various security (terrorism and is illustrated with more than 100 maps and 30 figures. trafficking) and development challenges linked to mobility (trans-Saharan routes and trade, migration, nomadism, This At a Glance edition: borders and free movement). A strengthened, consolidated • introduces the Sahara-Sahelian space and geography; and continuing dialogue among North, West and Central • presents some socio-economic indicators; and Africa is an essential element for the long term stabilisation of the Sahara-Sahel. • highlights the various links between mobility, networks and security. The countries analysed in this study Tunis Algiers TUNISIA Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Rabat A t l a s Laghouat Tozeur MOROCCO Benghazi ALGERIA Tripoli Béchar Cairo rn Erg ste Ghadames e n Erg W ster Ea Awjilah AdrarTademaït Hamada du Drâa Iguidi Plateau In Amenas Tindouf Erg Laayoune T LIBYA In Salah assili n’A Libyan Desert Reggane jje Chech Erg r Marzuq Ghat Tanezrouft EGYPT Hoggar Djanet El Djouf Al Jawf Zouirat Mountains Fderik Taoudenni Tamanrasset Tibesti Nouadhibou MAURITANIA Atar Ifoghas Adrar Tessalit Tidjikdja Arlit Aïr Mountains Faya Largeau Nouakchott Trarza Timbuktu Tagant Gao Agadez SUDAN MALI NIGER CHAD Khartoum Dakar SENEGAL Mopti Niamey Zinder Abéché El Fasher GAMBIA Banjul Bamako Ouagadougou N’Djamena GUINEA- Bissau BURKINA FASO BISSAU GUINEA BENIN Conakry Abuja Freetown CÔTE TOGO D’IVOIRE NIGERIA SIERRA GHANA LEONE Porto-novo SOUTH SUDAN Monrovia Yamoussoukro CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. LIBERIA Lomé Juba Accra CAMEROON Bangui Malabo Yaoundé EQUATORIAL 0 500 km GUINEA Source: Retaillé D., P. Drevet, O. Pissoat, J. Pierson 2014 National capital Palm grove limit Adrar Principal physical landscapes International border Other city Cram-Cram limit African country Equator/Greenwich Meridian crossing not included in study Source: Retaillé D., P. Drevet, O. Pissoat, J. Pierson 2014 2 An Atlas of the Sahara-Sahel © OECD 2014 Chapters CHAPTER 1 – SAHARA-SAHELIAN SPACE CHAPTER 4 – ANCIENT AND NEW MOBILITY AND GEOGRAPHY IN THE SAHARA-SAHEL The characteristics of Sahara-Sahelian space and geography The different forms of mobility can be understood through are based on social, economic and spatial mobility. Through social dynamics, namely networks. These networks began a mapping exercise, this chapter describes the Sahara- developing with trade caravans and have continued to Sahel through its ancestral networks, route empires, evolve over time. The rationales underlying this activity borders and its history, migratory movements, tourism are based on pastoral mobility and solidarity rather than and conflict and instability. the relations among states in the region. Political power plays, particularly between Algeria and Libya, interfere in their relations with countries in the Sahel. CHAPTER 2 – SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS WITHIN SAHARA-SAHEL COUNTRIES CHAPTEr 5 – MIGRATION AND SAHARA The indicators are analysed through population and economic The shared human space is centred on economies and data. Population data show strong growth in Sahel states migrations, which are both primarily informal. Starting and stable growth in North African states, accompanied by in the 1960s, the development of the sparsely populated intense urbanisation. Gross domestic Product (GDP) figures Algerian and Libyan Sahara has depended on labour from indicate a contrasting picture, with North African economies the North Sahel. This population redistribution, which has having significantly higher GDP growth rates and income since persisted, served as the basis for diaspora dynamics levels than Sahelian economies. and reinforced regional integration. CHAPTER 3 – PETROLEUM AND NETWORKS OF CHAPTEr 6 – NOMADISM AND MOBILITY INFLUENCE IN THE SAHARA-SAHEL IN THE SAHARA-SAHEL Various oil companies have been established over the years. Nomadism and its various forms of mobility and pastoralism This chapter analyses the role of Sahara-Sahelian oil in the connect the Sahara and the Sahel. It has adapted to change regional and global economy and market. The oil and gas through partial, limited sedentarisation and diversified sector accounted for one quarter of the cumulative GDP of means of livelihoods. This chapter describes the continuity Sahara-Sahel countries in 2013, with Algeria and Libya as and change of pastoralism, notably social recomposition, the third and fourth largest African producers. migration and the nomadic space. An Atlas of the Sahara-Sahel © OECD 2014 3 CHAPTER 7 – BORDERS, CROss-BORDER CHAPTER 10 – AN INstITUTIONAL POINT CO-OPERATION AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF VIEW ON THE CHALLENGES OF THE IN THE SAHARA-SAHEL SAHARA-SAHEL The cross-border functional dynamics in the Sahara-Sahel The insights provided by representatives of the EU, UN, are important to understanding borders, cross-border AU and ECOWAS illustrate the development and security co-operation and freedom of movement. Border regions challenges faced by the Sahara-Sahel. These initiatives call perform a number of functions in an institutional context, for the strengthening of dialogue among all actors involved where free movement is subject to the uncertainties of to achieve lasting peace and security for the West African political developments and, more recently, of security population. concerns. Traffickers’ use of border networks and corridors for various activities that feature differing degrees of violence The contributors to this chapter are: is an added complication today. • Mr Michel Reveyrand de Menthon, European Union Special Representative for the Sahel; CHAPTEr 8 – SECURITY IssUES, MOVEMENT Mr. Jérôme Spinoza, Political Adviser to the European AND NETWORKS IN THE SAHARA-SAHEL Union Special Representative for the Sahel. This chapter describes the evolution of regional instability • Ms Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, Special Envoy of the in the Sahara-Sahel since the 1960s. The analysis empha- United Nations Secretary General for the Sahel. sises that the nature of conflicts has changed over the past decade. Less locally