DEALING WITH

THE POLITICAL
INSURGENCIES IN
THE SAHEL
REGION OF
AFRICA
FACTS AND A CALL TO
PRAYER
ABOUT THE SAHEL REGION - GEOGRAPHY
▪ The Sahel Region of Africa is the area that stretches between the
Atlantic Ocean and the Read Sea.
▪ The Sahel Region is situated between the Sahara to the North and the
Sudanian Savanna to the South.
▪ Nations that make up the Sahel region include parts of Senegal,
Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central
African Republic, Central Chad, Central and Southern Sudan, South
Sudan, Eritrea and the extreme north of Ethiopia.
▪ The Sahel Region has a total land area of 3,053,200 square km and
has close to 414 million inhabitants.
▪ 64.5% of the population in the Sahel Region is below 25 years.
ABOUT THE SAHEL REGION - POLITICS
▪ The Sahel Region of Africa is dominated by Islamist rule and is
known to have a growing Jihadist Insurgent groups including Boko
Haram, Islamic State and Al Qaeda who frequently carry out major
attacks in some parts of the region.
▪ The Sahel Region of Africa is known to be the area with the
widespread wave of coups and uprisings. Military Regimes are
currently ruling in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Sudan.
▪ Political violence, Civil wars and terrorist activities are rife in the
Sahel Region making the area volatile and politically unstable.
▪ There is also the foreign influence of the Wagner group in the region
with established bases in nations such as Mali, Burkina Faso and
Niger.
ABOUT THE SAHEL REGION - POLITICS
▪ The growing level of political insurgencies in the Sahel Region
resulting from the overthrow of civilian governments by military
regimes manipulated by foreign allies have the tendency to spread
into the surrounding nations.
▪ Threats of military invasions, growing Jihadist movements pushing
the Islamization agenda, growing influence of Wagner groups and the
struggle for geopolitical dominance by the foreign powers makes the
situation very dire if not carefully handled.
▪ The current uprising in Niger with support from Mali, Burkina Faso
and Guinea against any military intervention is a cause for concern.
▪ There have also been attempted coups in Gambia and Sierra Leone.
ABOUT THE SAHEL REGION - ECONOMY
▪ The Sahel Region is hit with abject poverty due to the waves of
political insurgencies created by coups, civil wars, terrorist activities
and military regimes.
▪ The region suffers frequent shortages of food and water due to the
dry harsh climatic conditions. This is exacerbated by high population
growth due to very high birthrates across the region.
▪ The Region has experienced some of the most frequent, consistent
and severe droughts in Africa.
▪ There is also serious desertification caused by unchecked human
activities making the area prone to global warming.
ABOUT THE SAHEL REGION - SOCIAL
▪ Traditionally, most of the people in the Sahel Region have been semi-
nomads and are involved in subsistence farming and livestock
rearing.
▪ In the Western Sahel, Polygamy and child marriage are very
common.
▪ The literacy levels in the Sahel Region is low, creating room for
manipulation of the masses.
▪ The Sahel Region is also known for the widespread practice of
Female Genital Mutilation.
▪ Women and girls are highly vulnerable to sexual violence,
exploitation and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/ AIDS.
PRAYERS FOR THE SAHEL
REGION OF AFRICA
PRAYER POINTS
▪ Pray for the Lord’s merciful interventions to quell the growing levels of political
insurgencies caused by the combined activities of Jihadist movements, terrorist
groups and military regimes.
▪ Pray for the disbandment of these organized groups and their strongholds
scattered over the Sahel Region. Pray that their influences will be cut off.
▪ Pray against any organized scheme, plot or ploy to cause any spillover of coups in
neigbouring nations. Ask the Lord to empower the security forces in the
surrounding nations to quell any further coup attempts in the region and Africa.
▪ Pray for the healing and restoration of the economy of the Sahel Region. Ask the
Lord for the healing of the land and the release of rains for massive food
production as well as the supply of water to feed the populations in the region.
▪ Pray for an end to the FGM, sexual abuse of women and girls, child marriage and
polygamy in the Sahel Region. Pray that the spread of STD’s will be halted.