Civilian protection as strategy: a new approach to counterterrorism in West Africa

Despite ten years of concerted efforts, Western-led counterterrorism strategies have failed to restrain jihadist groups in West Africa. Instead, they have inadvertently worsened the situation. As jihadists target other Western partners on West Africa’s southern coast, it is time for a new approach that prioritizes civilian protection not only for legal and humanitarian reasons, but also as the centerpiece of a strategy to the tackle jihadists’ playbook.