James Walgenwitt

Insurgency in the Maghreb

Geography of the conflict
1. What is the Sahel, and where is it located?
a. The Sahel is a region located in the southern part of the Sahara Desert, stretching across northern
Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. It is located mainly in the countries Senegal, Mali,
Algeria, Niger, Chad, and Sudan.
2. What is the Maghreb, and where is it located?
a. The Maghreb is a region in North Africa, located along the Mediterranean Sea, and includes the
countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
3. What kinds of resources, natural environments exist in the Maghreb?
a. The Maghreb region is home to a wide variety of natural resources, such as arable land, oil, and
minerals. It has a variety of natural environments, including mountains, deserts, and coastal
plains. Some of the key natural resources found in the Maghreb include arable land for
agriculture, oil and gas reserves, and salt flats. The Maghreb has a wide range of climates, from
tropical to temperate.
4. What cultural, community traits define people that inhabit the Maghreb?
a. Collectivism: People in the Maghreb tend to value their community and group identities highly
and prioritize collective interests.
b. Diversity: the community is made up of diverse set of people
c. Religious Devotion: The majority of people who inhabit the Maghreb are Muslim, and many
practice their faith with great devotion.
d. Hospitality: The people of the Maghreb are known for their hospitality and generosity, especially
towards visitors.
e. Respect for Elders: In the Maghreb, elders are viewed as wise and respected figures, and they are
often consulted for advice.

Terms
Define the following terms:
● Insurgency
○ Active revolt or uprising against state, government, nation, or power
● Jihad
○ Act of fighting against enemies of islam
● Jihadist
○ Muslim that is fighting for islam, that is radical, and believes in using violence to achievetheir
goals
● Salfist Jihadist
○ Religious political ideology based on sunni islam, core belief that participation in armed conflict
is necessary
● Secular
○ denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis
● Sectarian
○ Denoting or concerning a sect or sects
■ A sect is a group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs

Stakeholders
 1. Identify the major stakeholders in this conflict, and describe why they are involved in the conflict.
a. The major stakeholders involved is the government of Algeria, in general the governments that
make up the maghreb, jihadists, armed groups, United Nations, the US, the French, the people
who live there, etc. The government of Algeria is involved because it's where the insurgency is
taking place. They are responsible for identifying the underlying causes of the conflict. Armed
groups are major stakeholders because they are the ones enacting the violence to gain their own
power. The United Nations and US are major stakeholders because they are trying to prompt
stability and peace in the conflict. There are french speaking countries that have a connection to
the french. They are also trying to achieve peace.

Defining conflict
1. What factors/contradictions fuel this conflict?
a. The main factors that fueled this insurgency is the political and economic instability, religious
divisions, local rights/problems, external support to the armed groups, climate change, and the
adaptable ideologies. Political and economic stability fuel this through government corruption
and the lack of economic opportunity. There is a wide variety of religious groups with different
ideologies that could lead to violence. For the local people there is a lack of basic services/needs,
and lack of basic land rights. Armed groups gain arms and funds from outside groups that keep
them running. Climate change have pushed the people even father than before.
2. What attitudes or beliefs fuel this conflict?
3. What ways has this conflict become manifest?
4. What type(s) of conflict do we see present in this case?

Contexts
1. What contextual factors are leading individuals in the Mahgreb to adopt Salfist Jihadism?
2. What contextual factors can diminish the appeal of Salfist Jihadism, according to the source?
3. Describe the tactics jihadists groups use to recruit supporters and fighters?
4. What contextual factors prevent the establishment of peace in this region?

Levels of Analysis
1. Identify and explain this conflict through at least three levels of global politics analysis.

Conceptual understanding
1. Explain the conflict using the following concepts: peace, conflict, violence, non-violence, sovereignty,
legitimacy

Resolving Conflict
1. What steps could be taken to resolve this conflict?