As electric-vehicle manufacturing and renewable-energy storage accelerate, demand for lithium is set to climb sharply. That rising appetite is placing the Sahel at the center of the global race for critical minerals, writes Bradley A. Mortin, a researcher at King’s College London.
The region’s expanding lithium trade is also creating new revenue opportunities for armed groups. “Over 40,000 tonnes of lithium are already mined from African rock each year for international consumers,” Mortin writes, adding that annual production could reach 500,000 tonnes by 2030.
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Mortin says jihadist and criminal networks, notably Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, are taking advantage of limited regulatory oversight in the mining industry. The groups use the sector to finance their operations and extend their influence, according to the researcher.
