An initiative led by TrustWorks Global (TrustWorks) and the European Institute of Peace (EIP) with the support of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Skip to Downloads
For over a decade, the tri-border region of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - also known as Liptako Gourma - has been the epicentre of violent conflict
For over a decade, the tri-border region of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - also known as Liptako Gourma - has been the epicentre of violent conflict
What started with a rebellion and the occupation of Northern Mali by jihadi groups has now turned into a decade-long conflict with violence spreading across the Liptako Gourma region. Neighbouring countries in the Sahel and coastal regions are increasingly suffering from the spill-over effects of the conflict.
The conflict is characterised by a large and highly diverse array of non-state armed groups, including jihadi groups and self-defence militias, with complex and shifting alliances which make deciphering local conflict dynamics extremely challenging.
The conflict is characterised by a large and highly diverse array of non-state armed groups, including jihadi groups and self-defence militias, with complex and shifting alliances which make deciphering local conflict dynamics extremely challenging.
International approaches to the conflict have been dominated by military interventions which have struggled to contribute to any lasting stability.
International approaches to the conflict have been dominated by military interventions which have struggled to contribute to any lasting stability.
And, regional and national security approaches have so far demonstrated little progress in preventing or diminishing violence against civilians.
The departure of the French Barkhane force in 2022 and MINUSMA in 2023 and arrival of Russian Wagner Group has led to renewed clashes in northern Mali.
The end result is a complex, fragile and highly insecure context that continues to rank among the most violent conflicts in the world - with deep repercussions for the people of the region.
1,742
Battle-related deaths (From 2012 to October 2023)
3,894
Internally displaced persons
2,122
Refugees
In Liptako Gourma, land, natural resources and the dynamics of climate change are deeply intertwined with the drivers of violence and fragility.
The agricultural sector - fully reliant on land and water and highly vulnerable to climate change - represents 27% of Sahel’s GDP, and employs 80% of the labour force.
Since many people in the region are highly reliant on farming and pastoralism for their livelihoods, climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly exacerbating tensions between communities.
Transhumance, which has been a pattern of life in the Sahel for centuries, depends upon accessible pasture and water to nourish herds and move between areas.
However, these corridors need to constantly adapt depending on changing rain patterns. Changing patterns of transhumance have contributed to increased conflicts between herders and farmers.
Artisanal and small-scale mining, such as panning for gold, sustains livelihoods for many communities. However, armed groups have also exploited such revenues, notably from artisanal gold mining.
Mining practices can also have significant adverse impacts on the environment, leading to soil degradation and the loss of biodiversity.
Protected forests and national parks are vital to ensure sustainable use of natural resources, and to preserve fragile ecosystems.
Simultaneously, forests function as safe havens for armed groups, providing natural cover against attacks and access to natural resources to finance their operations.
In the Gourma-Rharous desert in the border-region of Mali, the Gourma elephants are the last surviving members of the West African elephants and hold significant cultural value for communities.
However, elephant poaching increased in the years following the Mali rebellion; elephant tusks are viewed as valuable resources that can be sold by armed groups on the black market.
In March 2022, TrustWorks and EIP with the support of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg launched a Liptako Gourma-wide initiative on environmental peacemaking, designed to help better address some of the environmental root causes of violence and conflict.
Our work has promoted a different approach to building peace, focused on working with local actors to support them to address natural resource-related challenges and climate impacts in their own peacemaking work. It is an approach anchored in understanding how land and natural resources can promote peace.