Recurrent and expanding violence perpetrated by armed Islamist groups, as well as security operations to confront them, threaten populations in the Central Sahel – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – with violations that likely amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. Violence has also taken place between rival ethnic militias and community-based self-defense groups resulting in reprisal attacks and countless abuses.

The People’s Coalition for the Sahel: Advocating for Civilian Protection and People-Centered Responses

Governments in the region and international actors have taken little action to respond to the needs of civilian populations, who continue to be the first victims of insecurity. To shift national, regional and international policy towards a more people-centered and effective approach, and to empower Sahelian civil society and affected communities to take their rightful role in policymaking and peacebuilding, the People’s Coalition for the Sahel – a groundbreaking coalition of over 50 local, regional and international civil society organizations, including the Global Centre – was formed in 2020. The People’s Coalition for the Sahel has worked to strengthen civil society to influence policy change and hold stakeholders accountable through collective activities, including public joint statements and letters, comprehensive reports, private advocacy meetings, press releases and media appearances, among other initiatives.

Defining a New Framework: The Four People’s Pillars & Landmark Reports

As part of the People’s Coalition, the Global Centre contributed to the development of the four “People’s Pillars” for states to use as a framework for responding to the protection and humanitarian crisis in the Central Sahel:

1. Put the protection of civilians and human security at the heart of the response in the Sahel.
2. Create a comprehensive political strategy to address the root causes of insecurity.
3. Respond to humanitarian emergencies and ensuring that aid is responsive to development.
4. Combat impunity and ensure access to justice for all.

The People’s Coalition launched the landmark publication “The Sahel: What Needs to Change” in 2021. The report recommended a reorientation from the current security-oriented response to one that prioritizes civilian protection. The Global Centre supported the virtual launch event of the report, during which more than 1,000 people tuned in, including representatives from the African Union, Canada, European Union, Japan, United Kingdom (UK) and the United States, as well as Chad, Mali and other regional stakeholders.

Christine Caldera, the Global Centre’s Central Sahel expert, was invited alongside five other People’s Coalition members, to brief the UK’s Special Envoy to the Sahel following the release of the second report.

In 2022 the People’s Coalition released the follow-up report “The Sahel: What Has Changed,” evaluating the successes and setbacks regarding the protection of civilians, the fight against impunity and respect for human rights. The Global Centre contributed comprehensive information regarding atrocity risks, as well as recommendations on civilian harm monitoring mechanisms for the development of the chapter, “Putting the protection of civilians at the heart of the response to the crisis in the Sahel.”

Amplifying Civil Society: The Global Centre’s Ongoing Role

Amid the deteriorating situation across the Central Sahel, the Global Centre continues its advocacy efforts to influence and strengthen policies and practices that prioritize atrocity prevention and civilian protection, including through thoughtful engagement with key stakeholders within the UN system, such as the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Security Council. The Global Centre also continues to support members of the People’s Coalition for the Sahel by sharing the Coalition’s letters with relevant experts on UN Security Council teams, facilitating connections with these experts and amplifying Sahelian organizations’ reports and urgent campaigns through issues of our weekly Atrocity Alert.

For more information on the People’s Coalition for the Sahel and current activities, please see the dedicated website.

For more on the Global Centre’s advocacy work on the situation in the Central Sahel, see our Central Sahel country advocacy page.