(B)ordering Hybrid Security? EU Stabilisation Practices in the Sahara-Sahel Region

Abstract

This contribution analyses EU approach to stabilisation. Looking at the cases of Libya and Mali, the focus on emerging communities of stabilisation practices helps illustrate how EU investments in sector-specific capacity building are geared to the enhancement of sovereign prerogatives in neighbouring states that are experiencing domestic political challenges. Aiming to achieve a semblance of stability in remote borderlands, though, the outsourcing of Europe's security priorities—including border control and the fight against terrorism—has contributed to the ‘pragmatic’ legitimisation of dubious local partners who are not in normative alignment with EU principles, leading to the entrenchment of dysfunctional governance and patronage politics.