Sahelian Crisis and the Decline of Multilateralism

⁣Following a wave of coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, military regimes have entrenched their rule, established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), withdrawn from the regional bloc ECOWAS, and dismantled mainly Western-led bilateral and multilateral stabilisation mechanisms. These shifts have caused further disruption to an already unstable region plagued by ever-growing jihadist violence and economic hardship. With multilateralism in retreat, bilateral power dynamics are taking on new roles: Russia, Turkey, Iran and increasingly Qatar and the UAE are vying for diplomatic influence and economic footholds in the region.