Challenging western and francocentric accounts of military interventions in the Sahel, Katharina P. W. Döring foregrounds the response of African regional organizations to armed violence since 2012. Based on extensive empirical research, she reconstructs the experiences of African intervenors in planning and deploying missions in the region. The book outlines the complex constellation of actors who shape African military politics, including presidents, diplomats, and bureaucrats. Drawing upon insights from critical geography, Döring considers the oft-neglected role that space – at once relational and changing – plays in the power dynamics of the region. In so doing, she offers a fresh perspective on military deployments and their politics. Amidst the current resurgence of nationalist geopolitics, this study and its findings have far-reaching implications for the analysis of military politics in Africa and beyond.

‘This book is a fascinating and inspiring read, and it is an essential contribution to the study of peace, security and international relations in Africa.’

Gabriella Körling Source: International Affairs

‘The book constitutes a very good, convincing, timely, and in-depth analysis of the African politics of intervention in Africa generally, and the Sahel specifically. Its draws on an impressive collection of data and provides space and spatial semantics as an innovative perspective to the study of African peace and security. It is a must-read for anyone interested in African security politics and the Sahel, but also for those that are more broadly interested in a region of so much relevance to the dynamics of international relations and geopolitics.’

Friedrich Plank Source: H-Net Reviews

‘Reading this very topical and comprehensive book, we can learn a great deal about the military background and policies of regional organizations and countries on the African continent, as well as their links to each other and international politics. It can significantly contribute to our understanding of African political processes and provides a basis for security, international, and other analyses of the Sahel countries. All those interested in the continent and region from any angle should read this book.’

János Besenyő Source: Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies

‘Döring’s account is a very much welcome addition to the literature on conflict management in Mali and the Sahel as it sheds light on a thus far often overlooked aspect of the interventions, namely African agency. The extensive fieldwork and document gathering exercise that Döring undertook offer a remarkably rich empirical base on which the analysis meticulously draws. … the book deserves a space in every book-shelf that features the core literature on the interventions in Mali and the Sahel.’

Martin Welz Source: The Journal of Development Studies