Paper details

Paper authors	Tatiana Smirnova
In panel on	Working in the Sahel
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Armed conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel-Sahara region are being increasingly characterized by population movements across boarders. These movements include different categories of the population, including civilians but also fighters. Current terminology used by different UN entities when implementing DDR programs does not always propose a clear and consensual definition on what “foreign fighter” or “mercenary” is. The “screening procedures” designed to identify civilians and fighters are not always operational and in some cases contribute to exacerbate conflict. This paper suggests analyzing a set of specific examples from the Sahel region and Lake Chad Basin in order to focus on effects produced by the “counter-terrorist” legislation on conflict dynamics.

Back