Voices from the Sahel

We invite you to meet “Voices from the Sahel,” a special series of materials aimed at bringing the stories, struggles, and hopes of the peoples of the Sahel closer to the world. This series presents, through videos, articles, and interviews, the voices of leaders, activists, peasants, youth, and women who today raise the banner of a united and free Africa. 

Why the Sahel? The Sahel is much more than a strip of land stretching between the Sahara and sub-Saharan Africa. It is a region shaped by a deep history of resistance, from the anti-colonial struggles of the 19th century to today’s efforts to break the chains of neocolonialism. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger not only face severe crises — mass displacement, violence, and extreme climate change — but are also leading unprecedented processes to reclaim their sovereignty.

This series shows how centuries of systematic plunder, European-imposed borders, unequal economic treaties, and foreign military bases have prioritized the interests of powers like France and the United States.

But the story doesn’t end there. The materials in “Voices from the Sahel” also take us into the current processes challenging this situation: the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the expulsion of foreign troops, the nationalization of mines and resources, and the creation of sovereign development policies. 

At the International Peoples’ Assembly, we believe that to understand the Sahel is also to understand ourselves: to grasp how imperialist power networks operate, how the peoples of the Global South resist, and how we can weave alliances of international solidarity.