The West African region is characterized by a pervasive atmosphere of insecurity, with a prevalence of armed conflicts, terrorism, illicit trade and international tensions. The region is of significant geopolitical importance, with numerous countries possessing interests in its abundant natural resources. This has led to a proliferation of diplomatic relations between West African countries and external powers, including France, the United States and Russia. However, as has been previously observed, the region is often constrained by a lack of security and the proliferation of terrorist groups. As in the case of Mali, rebel and terrorist groups have become particularly strong and have caused the whole Sahel region to experience insurgencies. The hypothesis of this study is that global powers (the European Union, Russia, the United States of America), in particular France, have worsened the security situation in West Africa, and that the inequality in the policies pursued by these powers has created some grievances in Northern Mali, leading to the proliferation of rebel and terrorist groups.