Terrorism beyond borders : new challenges for customs cooperation on security in the Sahel

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Terrorism Beyond Borders

International terrorism is part of a long chain in which each link represents a major challenge to States' security and stability, particularly in light of the increasingly natural ties between this transnational phenomenon and illicit trafficking of all kinds. The coordinated action required to combat the changing terrorist threat is further justifïed by the fact that its complex webs provide advice and services to their subsidiaries and branches, which currently threaten the very viability of certain States in the region. In the name of a war to establish a so-called global caliphate, jihadist groups are spreading throughout West Africa, where they capitalise on illicit drug trafficking, arms smuggling, cattle raiding, the hostage business and artisanal gold mining to stretch out their tentacles as they aim to reach the Atlantic coast.

In this extremely complex situation, international borders, which are a point of control for customs, also remain a key vantage point for monitoring strategic trade and intercepting illicit trafficking in precursor Chemicals, which are diverted from their intended use to serve as components in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Starting from the Punta Cana Resolution, which was a decisive step in the necessary broadening of the circle of stakeholders and other players dealing with the terrorist threat, the author focuses on the need to better address the cross-border dimension of terrorism. Fully aware of the changing nature of the threat and the infinite capacity of terrorist groups and networks to adapt to new combat strategies in a context where the very planet is shrinking by dint of technological advances (drones, 3D printers and cryptomarkets), the author provides an uncompromising analysis of the challenges facing the Sahel.