Level of Education
Undergraduate
Abstract
This article analyzes U.S. foreign policy in the African Sahel with respect to security engagement and the emerging trilemma of democratic decline, rising violent extremism, and expanded Chinese and Russian influence. Post-9/11 security policy in the region can be historically divided into two eras of engagement: an indirect approach pursued prior to 2012, and a direct, interventionist strategy that has been carried out since 2012. Such evolution in strategy and its attendant consequences has only served to harm U.S. legitimacy and enable instability in the region. To bolster U.S. credibility in the region and enhance the resilience of Sahelian states, this article argues that policymakers should reorient U.S. security policy in the region towards a governance-first “3R” approach of resources, resilience, and relationships.
Recommended Citation
Ford, Rodney
(2024)
"U.S. Foreign Policy in the Sahel and the Case for a Revitalized “3R” Approach,"
Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy: Vol. 5:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jspp/vol5/iss1/5
Included in
Defense and Security Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Terrorism Studies Commons