FBA Research Brief: Prospects for Dialogue in the Central Sahel

Over the past decade, dialogue processes have been a cornerstone of national and international efforts to address the multifaceted crisis affecting the countries of the Central Sahel. Since 2020, the military has seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and radically changed the approach to solving the crisis and the role of dialogue. Is there still room for dialogue as an instrument of peace in the Central Sahel and, if so, in what form? This is a key question this report addresses. Three topical arenas of dialogue are reviewed: regional diplomatic dialogue, dialogue with jihadist insurgents, and women’s participation in conflict resolution and national dialogue processes. The brief takes stock of progress made in these arenas over the years, discusses the remaining challenges under the Sahelian military regimes, and makes concrete recommendations to keep them alive.