Talks with jihadists in the Sahel face many obstacles

Significance

Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum has similarly alluded to ongoing outreach to jihadists. These efforts reflect a broader level of increased regional political acceptance of negotiations with jihadist groups. Yet a viable framework for a national-level settlement remains elusive in all countries in the region.

Impacts

• France will pose less of an obstacle to negotiations with jihadists than in the past.
• Local-level truces with jihadists will fail to stem the rising trajectory of displacement in the region.
• Mali's increasing diplomatic isolation will hinder regional security cooperation.