|
|
The Wagner Group's counterinsurgency operations in Mali
Murgia, Nicolò ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Aslan, Emil (referee)
This research focuses on analyzing the Wagner Group's counterinsurgency operations in Mali. First, it reviews existing literature on the use of Private Military Companies (PMCs) in counterinsurgency campaigns. Then, it examines the dynamics of the Wagner Group's activities in Mali, particularly its relationship with the Russian state, the services it provides, and the impact of these services on Mali's security crisis. The study thoroughly analyzes the specific modus operandi of the Wagner Group and its relationships with local armed forces to understand the implications and outcomes of their counterinsurgency operations. The research findings reveal that the PMC's efforts were ineffective in mitigating the crisis caused by Islamist armed groups. Moreover, the Wagner Group's presence in Mali led to an increase in violence, resulting in severe consequences for civilians. On a broader scale, the research demonstrates how the Wagner Group serves as a tool used by Russia to exert influence in Mali. The close ties between the Russian state and the PMC have enabled the manipulation of the local population through disinformation campaigns, targeting previous Western partners such as France and the U.S. As a consequence of these actions, Mali, which experienced a military junta rising to power through a...
|
|
|
Influence of Violent Non-State Actors on Corporations in the Sahel
Dziak, Adam ; Doboš, Bohumil (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
West Africa's Sahel is one of the most unstable regions in the world. Despite its turbulent security situation and high amounts of political risk, foreign corporations dominate the region's extractive industry. Violent non-state actors and their activities present tangible physical risk to operations and employees of these corporations. Since extractive corporations present an important source of foreign direct investment in the region, if the risk far outweighs the costs for corporations they could be expected to pull out leaving the region in a worse economic state. Despite the salience of the topic, it is academically severely underdeveloped, with the majority of scholarship focusing on the region's broader geopolitical situation or specifically at the act of kidnapping with the intent to ransom. Aim of the research is to study the dynamics between violent non-state actors and corporations in order to identify security risks they face and how they react to them. This is accomplished through qualitative analysis of specific incidents, with special attention paid to countries of origin in order to determine whether non-western or western corporations are more risk averse. Findings indicate that corporations tend to halt their operations temporarily if attacked directly by violent non-state actors,...
|
|
|
Population Structure and History of the Sahel From the Point of View of Alcohol Metabolism
Jurišová, Lívia ; Černý, Viktor (advisor) ; Macholán, Miloš (referee)
The Sahel is the northernmost part of sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahel is inhabited by a complex mixture of people, who differ in their ethnic background, language affiliation and lifestyle. The most important and most studied gene of ethanol metabolism, ADH1B, has been understudied in the Sahel region, mainly due to the low frequency of the variant rs1229984-T, which accelerates the first step of alcohol metabolism. Due to its non- African origin, the variant rs1229984-T represents a suitable marker for population history study. The eastern Sahel is where immigrants from Arabia have been settling and mating with African populations since the 7th century CE. To study population structure and history from the point of view of alcohol meta- bolism, we have used already known genotype data from fourteen Sahelian populations, which inhabit mainly the eastern part of the region. Due to the absence of the critical locus rs1229984 in the genotyping array, the samples have been subjected to sequen- cing. Combined data from the microarray and the sequencing constituted 26 loci of the ADH1B gene and its close periphery, which came from 318 samples. Genotypic data needed to be converted into their haplotypic form by a phasing prog- ram. To choose the more appropriate phasing program, the data have been arranged...
|
|
|
The role of the Coalition for the Sahel against violent non-state actors in the region
Schwanitz, Paulina Sophie ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
This paper focuses on the Coalition for the Sahel, primarily in its efforts against violent non-state actors. The central point of the research is the achievements attained between the years 2020-2022 and the work the Coalition still has ahead of them. The Coalition was introduced in 2020; its base is built upon four main goals, referred to as the 'four pillars.' The Coalition for the Sahel involves the countries of France, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Mali. All, excluding France, make up the Group of 5 for the Sahel. By the conclusion, this paper will have answered the research question: What was the extent of the success of the Coalition for the Sahel? In the past two years, the G5S has successfully undertaken several projects, yet, it has also had to withdraw from others. The next possible steps for the Coalition will be identifiable through the analytical approach taken to answer the abovementioned question.
|
|
|
Migrations in the African Sahel through the view of the genetic diversity of control segment of mitochondrial DNA
Adámková, Kristýna ; Černý, Viktor (advisor) ; Frynta, Daniel (referee)
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest diversity of anatomically modern humans (AMH). With the use of genetic analysis of mostly uniparental loci, gradually we can uncover the migratory activity of humans long time ago. This work focuses on the African Sahel. It is a long, horizontal strip bordered by the Sahara Desert and tropical rainforests across the entire continent. Favorable environmental conditions and the absence of a geographical barrier are suitable not only for mobile herders, but also for sedentary farmers. These provisos create high migration aktivity in the area. In this work, I newly sequenced 474 mitochondrial DNA samples of 11 populations. Populations of pastoralists and farmers are spread all over Sahel/Savannah belt. Intrapopulation analysis assessed diversity within the population and generally showed low values in pastoral populations, especially Fulani pastoralists in the western Sahel. Interpopulation analysis revealed bigger differences between individual populations than between populations clustered in the subsistence group of pastoralists or farmers, within regions or within language. The work included populations with Afro-Asiatic, Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan language families. Thanks to the Migrate-n program, in this work I was able to confirm the...
|
|
|
Population Structure of African Populations Inferred from Alu Insertions.
Fajkošová, Zuzana ; Černý, Viktor (advisor) ; Frynta, Daniel (referee)
The population genetic study was carried out on 188 unrelated individuals from 5 populations of the Sahel. Relationships of nomadic Fulani to sedentary populations of different linguistic backgrounds and geographic origins were inferred from 16 polymorphic Alu insertions. Bayesian clustering approaches could be applied due to biallelic multilocus nature of the data. Fulani were shown to be divergent from neighbouring sedentary populations (Kassena and Mossi) and similar to Somali of East Africa. In context of already published genetic data, these results could be interpreted as Saharan origin of Fulani diaspora that was caused by Sahara drying out around 6 000 BP. After this initial migration of nomads to West Africa, a primarily female gene flow (integration of females) must have influenced the Fulani population. In contrast to Fulani, Songhai have shown a signal of recent admixture in concordance with historical and linguistic assumptions. KEY WORDS Alu insertions, Fulani, population genetics, Sahel
|
|
|
Proliferation of Non-State Armed Groups and their impact on state fragility and insecurity in the Sahel Region of Africa
Ofori-Ayeh, David ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Špelda, Petr (referee)
in English The most potent threat to the security and stability of the state in some geographical regions after the cold war has been the proliferation of VNSA due largely to the declining capacities of states especially in the developing world. For a myriad of reasons, the modern nation-state seems incapable of performing its functions and fulfilling the obligations of the state to its citizens. Moreover, the state appears to have lost its monopoly on the use of force within its territory, a situation which has led to the prevalence of swathes of ungoverned territory with marginalized and aggrieved communities whose resentment against central authority find resonance with Non-State Armed Groups whose violent contestation of state authority has further contributed to state fragility and increased insecurity. The Sahel region is one that represents this dynamic in all of its dimensions.
|
|
|
The Role of France and the USA in Battling Instability in Mali and Niger in the Years 2005-2014
Bakurevich, Aliaksei ; Čížek, Martin (advisor) ; Hornát, Jan (referee)
The Sahel is one of the most unstable and underdeveloped region of the world. In Niger and Mali situation worsened after the year 2011 because of of the political vacuum, emerged after the overthrow of Gaddafi. Among basic problems of Mali and Niger, causing instability, can be named poverty, security troubles (uncontrolled extensive borders, terrorism), ethnic conflicts and misgovernance. This paper is concentrated on the US and French activities in solving those problems. The aim of the paper is thus defining of the basic problems causing instability of Niger and Mali, and analyse military and development aid aimed at solving those problems by the USA and France in years 2005-2014.
|
|
|
Cattle Domestication and pastoralism in the African Sahel
Salajková, Veronika ; Černý, Viktor (advisor) ; Kyselý, René (referee)
Breeding of domesticated animals was one of the most important events which led to a significant progress in the history of mankind. Domestication appeared in several places simultaneously and inhabitants of these areas gained a considerable advantage in comparison with their hunters- gatherers ancestors. Fertile Crescent in the Near East, where many useful animals were domesticated, cattle included, was most important of them. In sub-Saharan territory gradual introduction of pastoral farming was limited for example by incidence of serious diseases in certain areas. In addition, Sahara, which in the past used to be a very favourable pastoral territory, in the progress of time started to change into despairing desert and the onset of devastating drought forced local inhabitants to move to the area of Sahel and to engage with cattle breeding. Due to the reduction of other natural sources local inhabitants had to draw attention to milk production which became an important source of food. Some of them have not left this life strategy up to the present time.
|
|
|
Population of African Sahel according to phylogeography of Eurasian haplogroups
Kulichová, Iva ; Černý, Viktor (advisor) ; Macholán, Miloš (referee)
The thesis is focused on two mtDNA haplogroups of Eurasian origin that occur mostly among the Fulani, herders of the African Sahel. On the initial analysis 544 DNA samples from unrelated Fulani individuals were used. These samples were classified to haplogroups according to hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) of mtDNA and subsequently, specific Eurasian haplotypes were chosen for the whole mtDNA genome sequencing. Obtained mito-genomes were assigned to phylogenetic trees and dated. It turned out that they belonged to haplogroups U5b1b1b and H1ca1a with the probable origin in the Iberian Peninsula, presumably in Franco-Cantabrian refugium where their ancestors originated in the period between the Late Glacial and the first half of the Holocene. Afterwards they migrated through the Strait of Gibraltar to North Africa and the Sahara, where the proto-Fulani pastoral population was being formed. It may also be assumed that a part of this population came to Africa from the Near East, along with cattle. In the second half of the Holocene, this pastoral population migrated from the drying Sahara to the Sahel. Probably due to small number of female migrants the females from the local populations were integrated, which explains the major representation of West African mtDNA haplogroups in contemporary Fulani....
|
guest ::
