Crisis in the Sahel: An Algerian Reading of Regional Stability

Karim Mansouri — Alger, Algérie — 2026-08-24

The Sahel has become the stage for a competition between powers whose price is paid by the peoples of the region. Amid that disorder, the Algerian position stands out for its constancy: refusal of foreign bases, support for inclusive political processes, and security cooperation among the states of the region.

The 2015 Algiers Agreement for peace in Mali remains the methodological reference: you cannot pacify a country without its component parts, and you cannot stabilise a region against its inhabitants. This patient diplomacy, often mocked for its caution, now appears to be the only credible path.

Algeria's field-states initiative — bringing together Mali's and Niger's neighbours to coordinate security and development — turns that doctrine into a concrete mechanism. It deserves to be followed, supported and assessed in the light of its results.