Semafor reports that a war with Iran could disrupt the stability of countries in the Sahel region of Africa.
Across the entire African continent, the most vulnerable are the Sahel countries ruled by military governments—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The current situation could become "the worst energy market shock since the 1970s."
Their militaries came to power amid public discontent: elected governments failed to defeat jihadist insurgencies. Subsequently, the three countries withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), cut their close ties with former colonial power France, strengthened relations with Russia, and established their own security alliance—the Sahel State Alliance.
But these countries are now in a very fragile position. All three are landlocked, making them highly dependent on global economic instability. Moreover, after leaving ECOWAS, they have largely been isolated, unable to rely on the group for collective economic support.
Ulf Lässing, director of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, pointed out that the countries in the region were already struggling due to reduced Western aid, which had filled part of their budgets.
Meanwhile, their main international partner, Russia, is currently engaged in operations in Ukraine and has yet to provide large-scale assistance.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859209242631168/
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