West Africa: Lithium in the Sahel - How Armed Groups Are Exploiting the Global Scramble for the Critical Mineral

Armed groups in the Sahel are exploiting the global scramble for lithium, a critical mineral essential for the production of batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, and laptops. As the worldwide demand for green energy technologies surges, the vast lithium reserves located in West Africa have become a prime target for insurgent and criminal factions operating within the region.

This exploitation highlights a growing security vulnerability tied to the global transition toward renewable energy. The involvement of armed groups in the extraction and trade of critical minerals threatens to fuel regional instability, mirroring historical conflicts associated with resource extraction in other parts of the continent.