The advance of the Hydra

How and why jihadist violence spread to Benin and Togo — Structural weaknesses across the Sahel created power vacuums that terrorist groups like JNIM exploited.

Why local populations are vulnerable to recruitment. As the state is largely absent, Jihadist groups fill this gap by acting as alternative governance providers and offering economic incentives.

The geopolitical stakes and two possible futures — The retreat of Western powers and the fracturing of regional security institutions.