Consider the following statements: 1) Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. 2) Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d’etat in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past. [2024]

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.
Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d’etat in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Since gaining independence in the 1960s, many countries in the Sahel have experienced violent extremism due to the confluence of weak and illegitimate governance, economic decline, and the worsening effects of climate change. In recent years, there have been military coups in Mali (2020 and 2021), Niger (2023), Burkina Faso (2022), Guinea (2021), and Chad (2021). These coups have weakened civilian institutions, disrupted international support, and in many cases worsened military responses to insurgencies, thereby contributing directly to regional instability.

Sahel region:
- The Sahel stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.
- The Sahara Desert surrounds it in the north and the Savannah to the south.
- As per the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), the region has ten countries, i.e. Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria.
- Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania form the G5 Sahel, the core of the Sahel region.
- With its abundance of energy and mineral resources, including uranium, gold, and oil, the Sahel is one of the world’s most endowed regions. For instance, Mali is Africa’s third-largest gold producer, and Burkina Faso is the fourth-largest and fastest-growing producer of gold in the African Continent, and Niger is the world’s leading source of uranium.

Map of northern Africa highlighting Sahara Desert and Sahel region in green and beige shades.