Paper short abstract:

This paper looks at the dynamics of religious regulation in Niger in context of violent Islamist extremism in Niger. It reflects on the state initiatives and supports the argument that the state is attempting to make religious pluralism its new paradigm for regulating religion.

Paper long abstract:

The Sahel region has been the focus of attention due to its geopolitical complexity and security challenges. It faces a situation of permanent insecurity and instability linked to terrorist activities and large-scale banditry. Several factors are identified to explain this situation. Development deficits, porous borders facilitating the illicit trafficking of weapons, etc., constitute the main governance and stabilization challenges in the Sahel region. The illicit trafficking of weapons exacerbates existing conflicts and facilitates the rise of extremist groups that exploit development-related frustrations to recruit members and promote their radical ideologies. This leads to a spiral of instability to the point of referring to a "sahelization of violence" (Bassou, 2018).

In this paper, I will analyse how the State is attempting to deal with this security situation. To do this, I will focus on a few government initiatives and interventions by international players in the field of regulating religion in order to respond to security challenges.