How the Sudan Crisis Threatens the Entire Sahel

The ongoing fighting in Sudan is driving thousands to flee. The humanitarian emergency is spreading, creating a dangerous security situation in the Sahel, experts warn. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled, and the United Nations (UN) has warned of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, which could spill over into neighboring countries.

The ongoing fighting in Sudan is driving thousands to flee. The humanitarian emergency is spreading, creating a dangerous security situation in the Sahel, experts warn. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled, and the United Nations (UN) has warned of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, which could spill over into neighboring countries.

Another danger is proliferation of small arms which cross Sudan's over porous borders and may even reach as far afield as Mali and Burkina Faso, Henrik Maihack of the Friedrich Ebert Institute fears.

Armed groups already operate in those countries, and new weapons would lead to worse security situation in the Sahel, according to Maihack. He warns the Sudan crisis could fuel "two crisis regions": in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

UN Special Representative Volker Perthes also recently told DW that the fighting in Sudan attracts "opportunists and mercenaries," who seek to enrich themselves.