What does it mean to support civil society in the Sahel when crisis is long-term, funding is shrinking and the operating space is becoming increasingly constrained? 

These questions were at the heart of the seminar “Civil society at a crossroads: uniting, adapting and making its voice heard for the Sahel”, organised by Forus member CNCD-11.11.11 and ACODEV with members of the Sahel Platform and partners working in the region. 

The gathering brought together civil society organisations from the Sahel and Belgium, researchers, international organisations, donors and institutional actors to reflect on the challenges facing civil society, but also on what is working, what needs to be supported and what can be learned from organisations continuing to act. 

Across the Sahel, civil society organisations are facing growing political, security and financial pressures. Restrictions on civic freedoms are compounded by administrative barriers, shrinking international funding and in many contexts, political crises and changes in international cooperation have directly affected local organisations and the communities they support. 

Several participants challenged the tendency to think of the Sahel in terms of successive “crises”, pointing instead to an ongoing reality for many people and organisations in the region. Yet despite a shrinking operating space and growing risks, civil society continues to organise, adapt and find new ways to reach and support communities. 

In these periods of profound uncertainty "civil societies" across the Sahel have continued to innovate, adapt and find new ways of working. The discussion repeatedly returned to the need for localisation and a shift in power.  Local actors need to be recognised not simply as implementing partners or service providers, but as independent actors with expertise, legitimacy, knowledge and political agency, capable of shaping public policies, holding institutions accountable and defining their own development priorities. 

This means that there is a need to listen differently, recognise expertise differently, learn differently and cooperate differently. 

It also means moving beyond traditional partnerships towards alliances: relationships based on shared objectives, mutual accountability and a longer-term commitment to working together. 

Financing civil society in a changing Sahel 

Financing emerged as one of the most pressing challenges. International funding is declining, while in some contexts funding is being blocked or becoming increasingly difficult to channel to local organisations. At the same time, humanitarian assistance is diminishing in places where communities continue to face enormous needs. 

Yet local organisations continue to find ways to respond. 

In some communities, solidarity groups are being created at village level. Organisations such as community-based savings and micro-credit initiatives are trying to maintain activities despite dramatically reduced indicators and resources. Local and national systems of solidarity and resilience remain active even when international support becomes less predictable. 

The question now is not only how to replace lost funding, but how donors and international organisations can better support the systems and actors already working within communities. This requires greater coordination and coherence among international actors, rather than more fragmented initiatives working in silos. It also requires being more strategic and precise about who is being engaged, recognising that not all have the same access, risks or ability to operate. 

For donors that have maintained a long-term presence in the region, there is also an important responsibility to keep the dialogue open. Evaluations and reviews of strategies in the Sahel should include meaningful consultation with civil society, including organisations that may not always be the most visible internationally as they are building relationships, maintaining social cohesion and creating spaces for communities to organise. 

The example of Swiss cooperation was raised as a reminder that long-term engagement matters. Its support over more than two decades may not always have involved large volumes of funding, but its continuity has created relationships and institutional memory that are particularly valuable in a changing context. 

And this long-term perspective matters beyond funding. 

Current European migration policies can make it extremely difficult for partners from the Sahel to travel and to attend meetings and participate in the very spaces where policies affecting their work are being discussed. Partners in the region as a result need to navigate this contradiction: we ask for localisation and meaningful participation while making physical participation increasingly difficult. 

Supporting civil society therefore also meansaddressing the practical and political barriers to participation  — from visa restrictions and travel costs to access to information and decision-making spaces. Meaningful participation is not simply about being invited to international meetings, but about having the opportunity, resources and influence to shape the agendas, policies and decisions that affect communities. 

Civil society needs space to adapt — and to speak 

Shrinking civic space is another major concern, including for organisations working on workers' rights and social justice. 

Supporting civil society in the Sahel therefore also means supporting organisations to adapt without having to self-censor. Organisations need spaces where they can discuss risks openly, develop strategies and continue engaging with communities and decision-makers. 

This also places a responsibility on development partners to protect and promote an enabling environment for independent civil society. Continued engagement and financial support must go hand in hand with efforts to defend fundamental freedoms, civic participation and the ability of organisations to operate without intimidation or undue interference.

This is particularly important as governance models change across the region. Geopolitical shifts should not mean that populations lose access to solidarity, development cooperation or civil society engagement. 

In this context, maintaining dialogue with civil society is increasingly strategic. Civil society organisations, including National Civil Society Platforms and Regional Coalitions remain essential actors in understanding what is happening at community level, identifying emerging needs as well as risks, and finding ways to reach people when traditional international cooperation mechanisms become more difficult to use. 

From partnerships to alliances 

The discussion also raised an important question: how can we support civil society in the Sahel not only to survive the current situation, but to prepare for what comes next?  

Perhaps the most important lesson from the discussion is that the current context requires us to rethink the relationship as partnerships are not enough if power remains concentrated. 

A stronger model that was proposed is one based on alliances: longer-term relationships in which knowledge flows in both directions, local expertise is recognised and organisations have a meaningful role in shaping strategies. 

This is also where National Civil Society Platforms and Regional coalitions have a particularly important role to play as they bring together diverse organisations, create spaces for collective analysis and advocacy, and help ensure that international actors engage with civil society as an ecosystem rather than through isolated organisations.