On Friday 1 November, Dr Rahmane Idrissa joined us for a discussion on ‘The Sahelian Question: The ultra-periphery in a changing world’ as part of the Cutting Edge Issues in Development Lecture Series for 2024. The discussant was Aoife McCullough and the chair was Dr Laura Mann. Read what MSc students Banke Awosope and Sandra Sippola took away from the lecture below.

You can watch the lecture back on YouTube or listen to the podcast.

As we approach Reading Week, we were left with much to ponder after attending a thought-provoking lecture titled The Sahelian Question: The Ultra-Periphery in a Changing World. For students in the international development department, the topic of “peripheries” is essential, and this session offered enlightening insights into the history and relationship between the core, the periphery, and the ultra-periphery. The talk provided essential context on the impacts of global forces on the Sahel region, framing the current insecurity within in the context of global power dynamics.

Escalating extremist violence in the Sahel has eroded faith in elected governments, leading to increased support for military takeovers. Rahmane Idrissa’s deep historical and socio-political analysis presented a solemn yet captivating picture of the Sahel’s challenges within a global political and economic framework. His analysis traced a roadmap from pre-colonial to post-colonial Sahelian history (although he might oppose my framing of history in colonial terms), or as he termed it, from the “trade meridian” to the “capitalist meridian,” illustrating the hierarchical structure imposed by colonial powers, especially France. Establishing the Sahel, as a resource pool of commodities and surplus labour for European economies with minimal benefit to local economies.

In keeping with the lecture’s linguistic flavour, the situation is best exemplified as: “La périphérie subit toujours l’impact du cœur” (The periphery always bears the impact of the core), emphasizing how the Sahel’s role as a resource periphery continues to shape its present-day struggles. This led to a clearer understanding of the term “ultra-periphery,” which describes states like Niger and Chad as twice removed from the core global economy—”addenda to the addendum,” so to speak, because even commercially viable states like Ivory Coast are ultimately peripheral to Europe.

The speaker argued that this “ultra” status creates fertile ground for radicalism, as the Sahel has no social “buy-in” to the current system. This alienation, combined with poor development, corruption, and resource scarcity, fosters a cycle of dependency on foreign aid and military support.

One of the speaker’s more provocative arguments was his opposition to the current pan-African movement, contending that it is constrained by an outdated anti-Western focus that overlooks newer geopolitical actors like China and Russia (including its third-party group The Wagner group). The region’s crisis is not isolated; rather, it’s part of a broader global shift toward rejecting “others” (in this case, the West), embracing authoritarianism, national pride, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies in alignment with the religiously-inclined military governments—a trend echoed by right-wing movements worldwide.

The lecture underscored the importance of the “real economy” in incorporating the Sahel into global trade, noting how cross-border trade, such as between Niger and Nigeria, should be expanded and protected, especially as military governments pull away from multilateral agreements like ECOWAS.

The speaker’s message was clear: to understand the Sahel, we must look beyond geography and address the structural roots of its peripheralization. As climate change accelerates resource conflicts, I was left feeling that the region’s precarious situation will likely worsen. Following a lively Q&A session, the speaker emphasized that the “ultra” nature of the Sahel’s periphery status creates fertile ground for progressive radicalism, as the region exemplifies the deprivation imposed by the current global hierarchy. He urged for a bold alternative to the status quo, challenging Sahelian leaders to inspire change by offering a clear, transformative vision.

Banke Awosope

Last week, LSE’s Cutting Edge Issues in Development lecture series focused on a frequently overlooked yet complex region: the Sahel. In his talk, The Sahelian Question: the Ultra-Periphery in a Changing World, Rahmane Idrissa, an academic from the University of Niamey, urged the audience to consider why this vast West African region remains marginalised economically and academically. Drawing from his research on democratisation, political Islam, and regional integration, Idrissa presented a perspective that challenged common stereotypes of the Sahel.

Idrissa opened with a look at the Sahel’s historical role as a trade corridor, once linked to the prosperous Songhai Empire. However, he described European colonisation as an “earthquake” that disrupted these networks, introducing the concept of the nation-state. This shift pushed the Sahel to the fringes, transforming it into a labour reserve for colonial powers like France. This “ultra-peripheral” status, he explained, has left the Sahel struggling to develop a middle class, dependent on international aid, and limited in its stability and growth to this day.

Intrigued by his remarks, I asked Idrissa why the Sahel struggles to develop a middle class, a challenge that keeps it on the “ultra-periphery.” He contrasted Côte d’Ivoire’s relatively vibrant consumer market with Niger’s limited economic structures, where insufficient capital accumulation and consumer bases reflect broader regional obstacles. Without consistent capital flows, he explained, the Sahel remains financially constrained, heavily reliant on foreign aid, and prone to security risks.

The frequent coups in the Sahel often come to mind when thinking of the region, and Idrissa highlighted the 2020 coup in Mali as a spark for growing anti-imperialist sentiment. He urged, however, for a move beyond a simplistic anti-Western perspective, advocating instead for a “new pan-Africanism” that addresses regional inequalities and resists exploitation not only from Western powers but also from China and Russia. For Idrissa, this renewed pan-Africanism could offer a pathway towards a more resilient and self-sustaining Sahel.

LSE PhD student Aoife McCullough raised an important question about whether the Sahel’s “ultra-peripheral” status limits its agency. Idrissa responded by emphasising the role of regional organisations like ECOWAS in fostering stability and growth. He also urged us to move beyond the rigid divisions of African history into “pre-colonial,” “colonial,” and “post-colonial” periods, advocating instead for a more fluid perspective that recognises the Sahel’s resilience and continuity.

My main takeaway from the talk was how often the Sahel is viewed through a colonial lens, overlooking its modern identity and aspirations. In response to audience questions, Idrissa emphasised the importance of Sahelian nations taking control of their own futures and moving beyond dependency on former colonial powers. Rather than isolating themselves, he encouraged regional unity and collective action to tackle challenges like economic dependency and security threats. His vision of an active, redefined pan-Africanism presents a pathway for the Sahel to transition from the “ultra-periphery” to a more empowered, self-determined role in the global economy. The lecture was a powerful reminder of the Sahel’s complexity and potential, challenging us to rethink the place of “margins” in global development.

Sandra Sippola

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Featured image credit: LSE Department of International Development