Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel Dakar, Senegal Please submit all media inquiries to harmstrong@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Hannah came to International Crisis Group in 2014 as a consultant for Algeria. She is now the Senior Consulting Analyst for Sahel. She is based in Dakar. Areas of Expertise North Africa Sahel Western Sahara Political Economy International Security Professional Background Hannah has worked across North Africa and the Sahel as a writer and researcher for various publications and organisations since 2006. She has held fellowships from the Institute of Current World Affairs and the Fulbright Program and has a master's in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. Languages English (native) French (fluent) Arabic (conversant)  In The News 11 Apr 2020 The problem, in Niger’s case, is that policies aimed at disrupting trafficking in the north could inadvertently end up fueling instability. Washington Post Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel 29 Mar 2020 [...] French counterterrorism mimics U.S. counterterrorism of 15 years ago. In the Sahel, the Americans have already realized this is a losing battle. New York Times Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel 4 Nov 2019 The main fault-line for conflict in the Mali-Niger border has shifted. A year ago, it was drawn between communities. Now it lies between militants loosely fighting under an IS banner and state forces. Twitter Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel 5 Mar 2019 The army and intelligence services [in Algeria] are still important but not as an autonomous pole of power. Financial Times Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel 1 Mar 2019 Protests in Algeria are not about rule by one man but a system. One that has empowered a business class with close links to the state while progressively stifling economic and political liberties and excluding an earnest, educated youth. Twitter Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel 24 Jul 2018 Jihadist groups present since the 2012 crisis in Mali exploited local unrest and the weak presence of the state in northern Mali to launch cross-border attacks against the Nigerien army... Despite direct support from Chadian troops since 2015 and closer collaboration with the Nigerian army, Nigerien forces have been unable to fully secure the border with Nigeria from attacks, including some linked to the Islamic State. Voice of America Hannah Armstrong Senior Consulting Analyst, Sahel Latest Updates Q&A / Africa 13 December 2019 Behind the Jihadist Attack in Niger's Inates A shocking attack by an Islamic State affiliate has killed more than 70 Nigerien soldiers, the most ever in a single incident. Crisis Group expert Hannah Armstrong explains that the jihadists’ strength is rooted in decades-old communal grievances in the Mali-Niger border zone. Also available in Français Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 25 April 2018 The Youth Movement in Sahrawi Refugee Camps Refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, have long been run by the Polisario movement, which seeks an independent state in Western Sahara, also claimed by Morocco. But a new generation of Sahrawi refugees is growing fractious as aid dwindles and diplomatic efforts fail to deliver a settlement.