Los Angeles, California – A recently published report from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) suggests that a dual economic strategy focused on domestic economic development and international partnerships could help Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Sudan overcome the challenges facing the Sahel region.
Released on Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, the report argues that these four countries must move away from relying solely on resource extraction and instead focus on building more resilient institutions and fostering long-term development. It attributes many of the challenges facing these nations to unsustainable economic policies that prioritize the export of raw materials.
Despite some progress in terms of public goods provision, particularly in social and environmental areas, these countries continue to struggle and are among the world’s poorest. The report, titled “Political Instability and Economic Development in the Sahel: Governance in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Sudan since 2000,” provides a comprehensive analysis of the political instability and economic challenges facing the region. It evaluates scores from the Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) based on data from 2000 to 2019.
According to the report, all four countries rank among the 20 lowest-ranked nations on the United Nations’ Human Development Index. They have also experienced at least one coup or coup attempt since 2020. In Niger, the military took power in July 2023, followed by Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2021. In Sudan, an ongoing violent power struggle between different military factions has caused the world’s largest refugee crisis in the past year.
“This political upheaval is both the result and the cause of economic difficulty,” the report states. “Scarcity breeds instability, which in turn makes development, investment, and growth more difficult. This further fuels dysfunctional governance and deepens dependencies.”
Before the coup in July 2023, Niger was seen as the last democratic partner of Western industrialized nations in the region, and an ally in the battle against terrorism and migration to Europe. Neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso have also turned against the West and have improved relations with Russia.
The four Sahel states are highly dependent on overseas development aid (ODA), making them more susceptible to the policies of their donors. The report highlights that colonial-era economic structures in the region have led to underdevelopment and inequality, which continue to impact these countries today. This has resulted in a highly uneven distribution of wealth, as well as corruption, rent-seeking, and uneven infrastructure.
With the elites competing over the limited resources, the report explains that politics becomes “zero-sum,” with no one attempting to develop the economy further. This dynamic, the authors argue, also serves as an explanation for the recent rash of coups in the region.
The climate crisis also adds to the situation, according to the report. For instance, erratic rainfall exacerbates malnutrition, indirectly contributing to violence. On the other hand, the Sahel has a lot of potential for generating solar power. Partnerships with more developed countries or international donors could be particularly helpful in developing this sector.
“The public goods improvements we have witnessed in the Sahel are likely unsustainable in the context of low (and often declining) democratic accountability and a continued reliance on extractive export models and subsistence agriculture, particularly given the high fertility rates in the region, which are among the highest in the world,” the report says.
The report concludes that if the states in the Sahel area emphasize domestic economic development, including a focus on the production of value-added goods and sustainable agriculture, they can build resilience and reduce dependency on external actors.
“The EU’s best chance at facilitating strong connections and countering geopolitical competitors is by building strong economic ties and mutually beneficial relationships,” it says. This is especially vital, it adds, in the face of the rising influence of Russia and China.
Further coverage by the Democracy News Alliance can be found in the DNA digital newsroom at https://www.presseportal.de/en/nr/174021.
Caption: Turning away from the West towards Russia and China: Supporters of Niger’s National Council of Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) wave the Chinese flag and a flag bearing the logo of private military Company Wagner in Niamey on September 16, 2023. (Photo by AFP/DNA)
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