Joint Force of the Group of Five - A review of multiple challenges

The Group of Five for the Sahel (G5S), comprised of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad, established a joint force (Force Conjointe du G5 Sahel - FC-G5S) in responding to a deteriorating security situation in the Sahel region. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the main challenges facing the FC-G5S during the process of obtaining full operational capability in 2018. The identified challenges were placed into three main categories: challenges linked to the operationalisation of the FC-G5S, concerns connected to the frameworks that outline the work of the FC-G5S, and issues that FC-G5S are or could be facing in the area of operation. The main challenges for operationalising the FC-G5S were identified as the lack of financial resources and that the G5S countries also face other external threats that are not part of the zones of FC-G5S operations. The main identified framework concerns were the lack of clarity regarding the police component, absence of adequate national compliance frameworks, and a missing vision for how FC-G5S will facilitate humanitarian operations and development actions. The main in-theatre challenges were identified as limited intelligence capabilities, high dependency on external support, and the potential gaps in command and control structures during rotations of battalions.