With the rise of Islamist terror in West Africa increasing and the geopolitical scene on the continent being sensitive to world shocks, this article delves into the origins of the various terrorist actors present in the Sahel. Understanding the impact of a colonial past and politically unstable present on government responses to attacks is important to navigate the realities faced by communities in the region. 

2023 saw the near-total collapse of France's military presence in West Africa. A string of high-profile coups in the Sahel, the region straddling the transition zone between the Sahara and the Sudanian savanna, have chased the French out of their former colonial holdings. Coupled with the disastrous end of the eight year-long counterterrorism mission Operation Barkhane in November of 2022, France has departed the Sahel just as violence and instability are reaching heretofore unseen levels. The following will examine the breakdown of the French War on Terror, and what France’s departure from the region means for the future of the Sahel.