Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading

Q91 (IAS/2024) International Relations & Global Affairs â€ș India's Bilateral & Regional Relations â€ș Regional politics and security Official Key

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. Statement-II : There have been military takeovers/coups d'Ă©tat in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A because both statements are factually accurate and Statement-II provides a causal explanation for Statement-I.

Statement-I is correct as the Sahel region has indeed experienced a deteriorating[2] security situation[1], with lack of good governance, risks of collapsing state authority, and potential spillover of instability to neighboring regions[3].

Statement-II is also correct as Mali experienced military coups in September 2020 and April 2021, Burkina Faso had coups in January and September 2022, and Niger experienced a coup in July 2023[4].

Crucially, Statement-II explains Statement-I because the coups d'Ă©tat in Mali and Burkina Faso were justified by their authors based on widespread popular frustration with the expansion of violence and limitations of security partnerships, which accelerated the collapse of security[5]. Additionally, the worsening security situation was one of the grounds put forward by the soldiers to justify the coup in Niger[6]. This demonstrates a direct causal relationship where military takeovers both resulted from and contributed to the regional instability.

Sources
  1. [1] https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/sites/default/files/25th_suppl_part_viii_advance_version.pdf
  2. [2] https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2024/09/the-sahels-intertwined-challenges-yabi
  3. [3] https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/en/cct/counter-terrorism-in-the-sahel
  4. [4] https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2024/09/the-sahels-intertwined-challenges-yabi
  5. [5] https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AFR4388652025ENGLISH.pdf
  6. [6] https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AFR4388652025ENGLISH.pdf
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
91%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : Statement-I : There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. Statement

At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This is a classic 'Map-based International Relations' question. The 'Sahel Coup Belt' was the dominant geopolitical story of 2023. This question rewards those who track 'Zones of Conflict' rather than just memorizing static capitals. If you read the International page, this was a sitter; if you relied only on static books, it was invisible.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Has the Sahel region experienced increased instability and a worsening security situation in recent years?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"against the backdrop of a deteriorating security situation in the Sahel, the decision of the Malian transitional authorities to withdraw from the Group of Five for the Sahel and its Joint Force was regrettable."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states a deteriorating security situation in the Sahel.
  • Links that deterioration to regional political decisions (e.g., withdrawal from the Group of Five for the Sahel), indicating broader instability.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Although the situation in the Sahel has deteriorated dramatically ... The worsening daily living conditions can only prolong the region’s security and political crises, and accentuate its fragilities."
Why this source?
  • Directly says the situation in the Sahel has 'deteriorated dramatically'.
  • Connects the deterioration to prolonged security and political crises and to social effects (lost schooling, displacement) that exacerbate insecurity.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"lack of good governance and risks of collapsing state authority have brought the Sahel region into the focus of the international community and significantly increased the amounts of assistance to the region. The risks of a possible spillover of instability from the Sahel to the neighbouring countries and regions further complicate the situation."
Why this source?
  • Links lack of good governance and risks of collapsing state authority to increased international focus and assistance for the Sahel.
  • Warns of risks of spillover of instability and the need to address terrorism and violent extremism before escalation.

Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > New Sources of Threats > p. 74
Strength: 5/5
“Take a map of Africa and plot various threats to the people's security on that map. world's armed conflicts now take place in sub-Saharan Africa, which is also the poorest region of the world. At the turn of the 21st century, more people were being killed in wars in this region than in the rest of the world combined. Poverty in the South has also led to large-scale migration to seek a better life, especially better economic opportunities, in the North. This has created international political frictions. International law and norms make a distinction between migrants (those who voluntarily leave their home countries) and refugees (those who flee from war, natural disaster or political persecution).”
Why relevant

States a broad pattern that most of the world's armed conflicts now occur in sub‑Saharan Africa, highlighting the region as a present locus of conflict.

How to extend

A student could map the Sahel within sub‑Saharan Africa and compare recent conflict incidence/time‑series or news reports for Sahel countries to judge if the regional share of conflict has risen.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > dESErtIfIcatIon or dESErtISatIon. > p. 17
Strength: 4/5
“In countries where desertifcation is particularly extensive and severe are Jordan, Lebanon, Somalia, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara. Te Sahel region of Africa sufers severe drought after every two years. In the decade of 1990 it recorded one of the worst drought as a result of which the crop production was minimal and thousands of people died because of starvation. Te resulting threat of starvation spurs population of the afected areas to increase their farming and livestock pressure on the denuded land, further contributing to their desertifcation. It has been suggested that Mali may be the frst country in the world rendered uninhabitable by environmental destruction.”
Why relevant

Documents repeated severe droughts and environmental degradation in the Sahel, including major droughts in the 1990s that caused starvation and land pressure.

How to extend

One can link these recurrent environmental shocks to possible drivers of instability by checking whether drought/famine years coincide with spikes in displacement, protests, or local violence in Sahel countries.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 8: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management > Causes of Famines > p. 83
Strength: 4/5
“Africa has witnessed a catastrophic growth in the incidence of both mass starvation and chronic hunger. Te famine vulnerable countries of the world have been shown in Fig. 8.32. It may be observed from Fig. 8.32 that the worst afected areas of famine lie in the continent of Africa. Te Sahel region, stretching over Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Madagascar record one famine year after almost every two years. Te deaths in the famines of the decade of 1990s were in millions. Te other highly vulnerable areas to famines are Mongolia, western parts of China, parts of Afghanistan, Iran, Baluchistan, Sindh (Pakistan), Bangladesh, Myanmar, parts of India Central American countries and parts of Bolivia and Paraguay (Fig.”
Why relevant

Notes very frequent famine years across the Sahel countries, indicating chronic humanitarian stress that can exacerbate social and political tensions.

How to extend

A student could compare humanitarian indicators (famine, malnutrition, displacement) over time with security indicators (conflict events, refugee flows) for Sahel states to assess correlation.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 8: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management > el nino (southern oscillation) and indian Monsoon > p. 54
Strength: 3/5
“Te close relationship of ENSO variability and occurrence of widespread droughts in the Sahel region of Africa have also been reported.”
Why relevant

Identifies ENSO/drought linkages contributing to widespread droughts in the Sahel—showing a climatic pattern that can produce recurrent shocks.

How to extend

Combine this climatic vulnerability with recent climate records and reports of social unrest to evaluate whether climate‑driven stress plausibly contributed to worsening security.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Human Development > Human Development > p. 20
Strength: 3/5
“faced political instability and social uprisings at some point of time in their recent history. As many as 33 countries record low levels of human development. A large proportion of these are small countries which have been going through political turmoil and social instability in the form of civil war, famine or a high incidence of diseases. There is an urgent need to address the human development requirements of this group through well thought out policies. International comparisons of human development can show some very interesting results. Often people tend to blame low levels of human development on the culture of the people.”
Why relevant

States that low human development often coexists with political turmoil, civil war, famine or high disease incidence, a general rule linking deprivation to instability.

How to extend

A student could check human development trends for Sahel countries and see if declines or persistently low HDI levels align with increased instability indicators.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2023 · Q87 Relevance score: 0.37

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the Trade and Technology Council'. Statement-II : The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

IAS · 2025 · Q26 Relevance score: 0.32

Consider the following statements : Statement I : The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in subtropical and temperate areas than in equatorial and polar regions. Statement II : Subtropical and temperate areas have less dry winds. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

IAS · 2023 · Q12 Relevance score: 0.25

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Marsupials are not naturally found in India. Statement-II : Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?