The Sahel region, acknowledged to be among the world's poorest, was described by Robert R Fowler, who was a hostage for 130 days in the region, as “a 7000 kilometer band of instability that AI-Qaeda considers a fertile ground for further expansion”. The region is also home to “climate change, desertification and ethno-religious extremism as well as other forms of confrontations,” which easily promote regional insecurity linked to trans-national organized crimes, illicit movement of people, weapons, and narcotics as well as environmental degradation. In this region, are domiciled, radicalization and extremism based on social grievances, unresolved conflicts, religious, historical, personal or community related as well as marginalization that have created suitable ground for discontent that are easily violently expressed.