The Use of Military and Civilian Missions to Cope with Crime-Terror Effects: the Case of the Sahel

The paper aims at discussing the use of EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions to cope with the effects of the crime-terror nexus and with the strengthening of security and stability conditions, focusing on the main interventions in the Sahel region. It is divided into three parts. The first one presents an overall analysis of the relations between terrorism and organised crime and the implications that are produced for global and regional security with a special focus on the literature on non-state actors. Secondly, it is combined with the current strategy, designed by the EU, to cope with the impact of the nexus in Africa within the CSDP framework. The Sahel region, as an area affected by multiple sources of insecurity, represents a paradigmatic example and a privileged case study. In the third, and final part, the impact of EU missions is assessed as a counterstrategy tool and some potential future perspectives are raised. Based on the assumption that the nexus is rapidly changing and adapting to different regional variations, the paper intends to contribute to the existing debate on security and conflict management in a crucial region, as well as on the potential use of military and civilian missions, as part of a more integrated strategy.