African Networks Lab

While the location of violent events and their propensity to cluster together in space is increasingly well known, a deeper exploration of their spatiality and spatial evolution over time remains an emerging frontier in  conflict studies. To fill this gap, we introduce a new Spatial Conflict Dynamics indicator (SCDi) that measures both the intensity and […]

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Call for papers American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, NYC, 25 Feb-1 March 2022 Session title Geographies of conflict in North and West Africa Organizers Olivier Walther, University of Florida; Steven Radil, U.S. Air Force Academy; David Russell, Princeton University; Matthew Pflaum, University of Florida Session description: The geography of conflict in North and West Africa […]

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By Matthew Pflaum and Charis Li Camp Senou is one of the many displacement camps that emerged in Mali following the 2012 civil war and the consequent insecurity. Opened in 2019 in the southern fringes of Bamako, the camp shows no fences, legitimate signage, security guards, or any other official accoutrements of an internally displaced […]

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Borderlands are more violent than any other regions in North and West Africa. Examining the geography of violent events across 21 states and 23 years, our new paper published in the Journal of Borderlands Studies shows that the further from the border, the fewer violent events are observed.  As shown below, since 1997, nearly 9% of […]

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Which regions have experienced the highest levels of political insecurity in North and West Africa since the late 1990s? Do conflicts tend to cluster or spread across the region, potentially across borders? And how do foreign military interventions affect the geography of conflict from Dakar to N’Djamena? Find out in this new OECD report. More […]

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The new OECD report on security was launched at the Sahel Coalition this week. Entitled “Conflict networks in North and West Africa”, the report maps the evolution of alliances and rivalries in the region since the late 1990s. Using Dynamic Social Network Analysis, the report examines how rivalries and alliances shape patterns of violence across the region […]

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Special issue of Journal of Borderlands Studies Guest editor: Olivier J. Walther, Ph.D., University of Florida Abstract submission deadline: September 15, 2020 Background In recent decades, the multiplication of trade facilitation initiatives in Africa has been accompanied by a deterioration of security conditions in border areas. Trade activities have been significantly disrupted by political insecurity, […]

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Africa is currently undergoing rapid urban expansion. According to the 2020 Africapolis report, Africa’s urban population has increased from 27 million in 1950 to 567 million in 2015, with further rapid growth projected to continue. The consequences of this rapid growth on the distribution of armed conflict in Africa remain under-studied, despite being crucial for the […]

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By Olivier J. Walther, University of Florida The internal structure of violent extremist organizations such as Boko Haram in West Africa remains largely unknown due to their secretive nature. Of particular importance is whether violent extremist organizations are centralized around a few key hubs or composed of highly decentralized cells. In a new paper published today […]

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By Olivier J. Walther, University of Florida In a new paper published in French in IG today, African Networks Lab Coordinator Olivier Walther, Lawali Dambo and Moustapha Koné examine West Africa’s urbanization process and the demographic role of border cities in the region. The paper shows that West African border cities are different from other cities. Since the […]

Read more "What makes West African border cities special?"