Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) Project - Phase IV

The Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) is a multi-year project of the Small Arms Survey (SAS) that began in 2012 following the Arab uprisings and the spread of armed conflicts and civil wars in North Africa. It aims to support actors engaged in building a more secure environment in North Africa and interlinked neighbouring regions, with particular focus on the Sahel-Sahara. The project produces timely, evidence-based research and analysis on the availability and circulation of small arms, the dynamics of armed groups, the trajectories of conflicts, and related insecurity. The research aims to enhance knowledge on small arms trafficking, armed violence, armed actors, and related measures and programmes. The project’s main beneficiaries are policy-makers in both the region and the international community, practitioners, researchers, and journalists engaged in the region. The current phase of the project—SANA IV—started in September 2021 and will conclude in August 2024. The purpose of this narrative report, covering the period from 1 September 2021 until 31 August 2022, is to summarise and report on the activities and research outputs of the first year of SANA IV, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Project No. 4000005126).