From Saharan Palaeoclimates to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State

Abstract

This essay set in the Sahara, reflects the author’s shift from geomorphology and palaeoclimates to researching on the Tuareg, the semi-nomadic, Islamic people of the desert. Based on decades of anthropological research in the Sahara, and across the Sahelian countries, it focuses on security matters and their influence on local cultures and livelihoods. It shows us how the Global War on Terror is spilling over to West Africa with a gradual build-up of conflicts.