International Development Law Organization

Sahel

English

The Sahel region is caught in a vicious cycle: insecurity is on the rise, the capacity of countries to provide basic services, maintain order and deliver justice is diminishing, development is hampered, tensions within communities are mounting and there is growing distrust of the State. Impunity, corruption and lack of justice are among the root causes of instability and insecurity in the region. The absence of an effective response to crime and conflict - such as banditry, cattle theft, attacks on roads and markets, as well as illegal detention and other injustices committed by state agents - contributes to the deterioration of State legitimacy and creates a breeding ground for jihadist and organized crime groups. Beyond strengthening institutions to combat terrorism, it is therefore essential to address the systemic shortcomings within criminal justice systems to effectively reduce instability in the region.

La région du Sahel fait face à un cercle vicieux : l’insécurité augmente, la capacité des États à assurer les services de base et le maintien de l’ordre et la justice diminue, le développement est davantage entravé, les tensions intercommunautaires s’attisent et la méfiance envers l’État grandit. L'impunité, la corruption et le manque de justice, font partie des causes profondes de l’instabilité et de l’insécurité dans la région. L’absence de réponse face à la criminalité et aux conflits - comme le banditisme, le vol de bétail, les attaques sur les routes et marchés, ainsi que la détention illégale et les injustices commises par les agents de la justice – contribue à dégrader la légitimité des États et à créer un terrain propice pour les groupes djihadistes et de crime organisé.  Au-delà du renforcement des institutions de lutte contre le terrorisme, il apparait donc essentiel de remédier aux défaillances systémiques des systèmes de justice pénale afin de lutter efficacement contre l'instabilité dans la région.

NIGER: Amélioration de l’Accès à la Justice Pour une Meilleure Protection des Citoyens au Niger

This sub-project aims to improve access to justice by guaranteeing equality before the law and facilitating access to legal resources and dispute resolution mechanisms for all citizens of Niger. The implementing partner, Réseau des Journalistes pour les Droits de l’Homme (RJDH), is increasing citizens’ knowledge about human rights and facilitating their access to public justice services. To this end, the implementing partner is training public, private and community media journalists on access to public justice services and human rights.

MALI: Projet d’Appui Intégré aux Systèmes de Justice Pénale dans les Régions de Mopti et Bandiagara – Phase II

This sub-project aims to enhance access to justice and reduce human rights violations by improving the functioning of the criminal justice system for the populations in the Mopti and Bandiangara regions in Mali. In order to enhance the quality of legal assistance and conditions for access to legal aid in gender-based-violence (GBV) cases and pre-trial detention, the Organisation pour un Développement Intégré au Sahel (ODI-Sahel) is providing technical and logistical support to the local detention centres and investigation facilities.

NIGER: Projet d’Appui au Renforcement de la Lutte contre les Violences Basées sur le Genre et l’Accès à la Justice pour les Femmes et Filles de Niamey et Tahoua au Niger

This sub-project aims to contribute to the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) by promoting and fostering respect for women’s rights within communities of the Dosso region in Niger.

MALI: Appui à la Prise en Charge Psychologique et Juridique des Survivantes de Violences Basées sur le Genre (VBG) et au Renforcement de l’Accès à la Justice

This sub-project aimed to reinforce access to high-quality psychosocial and judicial services for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and host communities, specifically survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and people in conflict with the law, while also strengthening the collaboration between communities and justice service providers.

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Key Initiatives

  • The failure of criminal justice systems in the Sahel to deliver better quality justice can be linked to a series of interconnected factors, such as: the overwhelming lack of human, material and financial capacity; corruption and weak internal control mechanisms; and limitations on civil society to ensure respect for human rights.
  • As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Mid-Term Evaluation Brief for the project, “Strengthening the Criminal Justice Chain in the North of Mali (SCJC)”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
  • It is only 25 years ago that Mali initiated its transition from dictatorship to a more inclusive democracy and a more equal society. In many ways it is, therefore, no great surprise that the country has not been able to either transcend personalised power politics or overcome critical socio-economic cleavages.
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