How about lunch in the Sahel?
Victor Angelo
A
few years ago, my wife and I were invited to an unusual Christmas lunch. The
invitation came from the Chad presidency and the repast site was about a
hundred kilometres north of Fada, a town more than two hours' flight from
Ndjamena, already in the area of transition from the Sahel to the Sahara. The
plan was to fly to Fada and follow by land to one of the oases of the Mourdi
Depression - a set of deep valleys with several lagoons, much in demand by the
traders of the numerous camel herds in transit to Libya, where each camel ends
up by being sold at meat markets.
We
went there. The journey between Fada and the oasis took place in the middle of
twenty-something jeeps of a company of elite troops with operational experience
of the region. The open-backed pickup trucks - the famous
"technicals" - advanced at high speed, in parallel, on a unique front
of several hundred meters. The aim was to avoid the dust and the ambushes of
lawless groups that were already wandering in those parts of the Sahel.
The
set menu was sheep, stuffed with chicken and couscous, roasted in a hole dug in
the sand. The animal, well-done, cleaned of ashes and sand, was placed in front
of us, whole, from head to feet, staring at us, so that we, the guests, could
begin the feast. The protocol was clear. No one would touch any piece of food
before we had finished ours. My wife and I looked at each other, and we did not
know what to do. The head of the GOE (Portuguese Police Special Operations
Group), who were in charge of my personal security, pulled out a pocket folding
knife, cut two pieces and we started munching. Slowly, to show appreciation for
the delicacy. Two hundred eyes followed our chewing closely. When we gave the
signal that we had enough, the military threw themselves at the animal and the accompanying
food. They cleaned everything in the blink of an eye.
In
telling all this, my intention is not to invite the reader to a similar
Christmas lunch. It is a question of taking advantage of the moment to talk
about the Sahel, the hunger and food insecurity that define the daily lives of
its people, and the violence that is taking place in these lands. It is also a
tribute to those who have little more than their personal dignity, a quality
that has always defined the way of being of the people of the Sahel. But that
dignity is now often violated by those who have power, whether on the side of
governments, armed robbers, or terrorists. The Sahel and the adjacent Sahara
are experiencing a deep security crisis, which has worsened continuously since
2012, despite a strong European military presence in the region.
The
year now ending has been the most violent. Jihadists and other armed groups,
including popular militias formed by the governments that the Europeans
support, will have caused over 4,250 deaths and thousands of displaced people.
The most dangerous area is the three borders region between Mali, Burkina Faso
and Niger. About half of the attacks were directed against civilian
populations. In most cases, the violence, even that which wears a mantle of
religious radicalism, has as its main objective to extort resources.
Communities that make a living from artisanal gold mining or pastoralism, as
well as those that run the trade corridors connecting the Sahel with the west
coast of Africa, in Benin, Togo and Nigeria, are the most frequent targets. It
is difficult to determine where looting ends and fanaticism, ethnic hatred or
human rights violations begin. Terrorism is a label that defines a complex
reality badly. But it is around. In 2020 we saw many confrontations between or
perpetrated by two of the most important groups: the Islamic state in the
Greater Sahel and the Al-Qaeda factions. And we are still hearing reports of
war crimes committed by the armed forces of countries to which Europe gives
military training.
The
EU is preparing a new strategy for the region. It may be ready during the
Portuguese presidency. To be valid, it must begin by questioning the reasons
for the failure of the strategy that has been followed so far. My first
indications are that it will be more of the same. It might then be a good idea
to organise a lunch in a remote corner of the Sahel for some European leaders.
(Automatic translation of the opinion piece I published today in the
Diário de Notícias, the old and prestigious Lisbon newspaper)
