Africa stands at a distinct crossroads in its history. For centuries, the political borders of the continent were drawn based on colonial ambitions and arbitrary assumptions. The concept of nationalism and identity defined the continent in a fundamentally different way compared to Europe or Asia because the peoples of Africa had to endure the partitions of their communities along artificial lines. This legacy continues to define the conflicts and atrocities faced by the continent, but one region may soon become the symbol of defiance against this arbitrary legacy.
To understand the future of Africa, “Sahel” is a term that we must become familiar with. It represents the geographic borderlands between the Sahara to the north and the savannas to the south. It was historically one of the key possessions of the French Empire during the era of colonialism, and the region was exploited for its underground mineral resources. Though France lost much of its rule over its colonies in the past century, many anti-Western resistance movements in the area still see France as the oppressor.
France has deep political and economic ties in West Africa. Its former colonies use currencies that are heavily influenced by France, and the French military uses army bases in the region to combat Islamist extremists as well as to exert soft power as a phantom master. This foreign policy strategy is the root cause of the anti-Western movement in the Sahel — France is using modern means to manage old possessions, the antagonism against which has given birth to a new form of popular African identity.
The movement against French influence is currently a coalition, but the road to federalization is not a secret. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are the three countries in the Sahel whose regimes came into power through military coups and seek to establish a new political system free from Western involvement. In the aftermath of this overthrowing of regimes, the emerging political framework is a new coalition named the “Alliance of Sahel States,” and this development is essential to observe.
This new coalition is very quickly following the necessary steps for complete unification. The alliance members have so far proposed or agreed to form a central bank to replace the CFA franc (the common currency in countries under French influence), a joint parliament, a unified army and free trade measures through common passport and visa schemes. Most importantly, the alliance upholds the measure to establish a common cultural program to establish a unified social identity for the coalition.
Cultural cohesion is what distinguishes the movement in Sahel from other historical examples. The Cold War-era Pan-Arabist movement, as well as current-day movements the East African Community project, are both known for their slow progress, ideological infighting and failure to effectively centralize their coalitions. In contrast, the movement rising out of Sahel has the advantage of being pragmatic and realistic with its financial and political objectives — realizing political unity is objectively a well-defined goal on the path toward greater social ambitions.
Political integration is the essential step after achieving economic and cultural integration. Once the synchronization of infrastructure, administration and trade is achieved, the Sahel states will need to work toward a united constitution and the framework for leadership. The question of leadership is ultimately what killed off many other unification movements in Africa, and the alliance in Sahel is rapidly reaching the critical point where it must define its future for its government and administration.
This may appear as a federation that follows the examples of Yugoslavia or India, which provide limited self-governance to local groups and would imply the continued existence of internal divisions based on regional identities. In contrast, the alliance may focus on complete social integration, following the steps of Germany and Italy from two centuries ago to bring together adjacent countries and forge a new, singular national identity.
Ideally, Sahel benefits from an emphasis on greater social unity, mimicking the path small polities in Germany and Italy followed to create the modern German and Italian states we know today. It is therefore pragmatically useful for the coalition members to centralize their economies and administrations to not only have greater political strength but also facilitate cultural cohesion.
However, this new movement must stay clear of the mistakes of Pan-Arabists of the past century, who started with similar ambitions to unify North Africa but ultimately disintegrated due to regional favoritism and infighting. A new political movement for the Sahel must also define its political direction so that an effective and centralized administration can emerge beyond the push for unification.
Forming a new national identity is the logical next step for the Sahel. Redefining and fusing regional identities has the potential of creating new cultural connections that transcend traditional tribal or otherwise arbitrary colonial divisions — this is a step that can make African peoples effectively reinvent their identities free from foreign control. For this goal, the Sahel nations must maintain their momentum and focus on defining the future of a new state and a new cultural identity for West Africa.
Deniz Gulay is a sophomore double-majoring in history and Russian.
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