Mapping the Changing Structure of Conflict Networks in North and West Africa

Contemporary conflict in North and West Africa is characterized by a high degree of social and political complexity. Hundreds of rebel groups and extremist organizations are involved in a shifting series of alliances and rivalries with regional governments and with each other. These changing relationships can be represented as a social network that provides both opportunities and constraints to violent organizations. To better address this complexity, this article models the temporal evolution of both opposition and cooperation networks using detailed information on nearly 40,000 events in North and West Africa from 1997–2020. Using a relational approach called Dynamic Social Network Analysis (DSNA), the article suggests that the increasing number of belligerents, increasing density of conflictual relationships, and polarization on powerful organizations capable of conducting extensive military operations make a peaceful resolution of the North and West African conflicts more elusive than ever

Conflict resolution · Geography · North west · Opposition (politics · Polarization (electrochemistry · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social media · Social network analysis · Sociology · Complex Network Analysis Techniques · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Law · Political Conflict and Governance

• The Conflict Network Explorer

  Open Access•Allard Duursma, Diana Steffen et al.•Journal of Peace Research•2026

  Incluir item

• The Spatial Conflict Life Cycle in Africa

  Olivier Walther, Steven M Radil et al.•Annals of the American…•2025

  Incluir item

• Locality, Personal Ties, and Efficiency in a Food Security Network

  Jaimie Kelly, Dipanwita Sarkar et al.•Annals of the American…•2024

  Incluir item