By Kouthar Sambo
“I have cautioned elsewhere that the Sahel region is vulnerable; however, this vulnerability should be addressed by African states themselves.”
This is according to international relations expert Dr Chidochashe Nyere, responding to reports of Israel’s growing presence in West Africa. The expansion has been led by Roey Gilad, Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Gilad cited the Sahel’s increasing security challenges, describing the region as “vulnerable to extremist threats,” and expressed concern over the potential for “global terror” to spill over—an issue Israel claims is of growing importance.
However, analysts and critics have labelled Israel’s concerns as ironic, pointing to its own ongoing aggression in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. They argue that Israel’s involvement in the region may be motivated by strategic interests rather than purely security concerns.
*Listen to the full interview here.
Photo: @Denmark_UN/X
