Armed Conflict

Lawfare Daily: Dispatches from the Sahel, with Rachel Chason and John Lechner

Tyler McBrien, Rachel Chason, John Lechner, Jen Patja
Friday, February 28, 2025, 8:00 AM
What is the current state of the Sahel region?

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

On today’s episode, the Washington Post's West Africa bureau chief Rachel Chason and freelance journalist John Lechner join Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to talk about the current state of the Sahel and the many forces that have converged in the region over the past couple of years.

They discussed Chason’s new series out in the Post, “Crossroads of Conflict,” which includes six rich portraits of Sahelian actors, including: an Islamist militanta militia commandera Russian mercenaryan American soldiera coup leader, and a defiant broadcaster. They also talked about Lechner’s forthcoming book, “Death Is Our Business: Russian Mercenaries and the New Era of Private Warfare.”

We value your feedback! Help us improve by sharing your thoughts at lawfaremedia.org/survey. Your input ensures that we deliver what matters most to you. Thank you for your support—and, as always, for listening!

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.


Topics:
Tyler McBrien is the managing editor of Lawfare. He previously worked as an editor with the Council on Foreign Relations and a Princeton in Africa Fellow with Equal Education in South Africa, and holds an MA in international relations from the University of Chicago.
Rachel Chason is the West Africa bureau chief at the Washington Post.
John Lechner is an analyst concentrating on the politics of Russia, Turkey and African nations, with a special focus on conflict in the Central African Republic. Previously, he worked as part of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan federal government advisory body.
Jen Patja is the editor and producer of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.
}

Subscribe to Lawfare