SAHEL-Signature of an agreement to carry out a study on security expenditures and their crowding out effects on development expenditures.

Sahel countries are facing a significant security threat, forcing them to devote an increasing proportion of their budget to security spending (military and police). 

From 2011 to 2018, defense budgets increased in almost all G5 Sahel member states. These budgets have often been doubled or tripled without an increasing in the resources themselves. This situation causes damages detrimental to the harmonious development of these countries facing the thorny issue of wealth production to support investment spending.

Security efforts, to be effective, must not be made to the detriment of the expenditures towards the poorest populations and development for all.

Also, at its fifth ordinary session held on February 03, 2019 in Ouagadougou, the Council of Ministers of the G5 Sahel instructed the Permanent Secretariat to "carry out, together with the Sahel Chair, a study on security expenditure and its eviction effects on the financing of investments, particularly in the social sectors of the G5 Sahel member countries".

The purpose of the study is to examine to which extent increased security expenditures caused by the violent shocks experienced by the G5 Sahel countries has a crowding-out effect on development spending. It should lead to operational recommendations for the implementation of public policies that meet the basic human development needs of Sahel countries, and to a more targeted framework for dialogue with development partners.

The study will last ten months and will be carried out by the FERDI Sahel Chair with the participation of G5 Sahel Member States and Sahel Chair partners.