West Africa

CIR’s work in West Africa focuses on the use of open-source research techniques as a means to generate new insights into conflict dynamics and threats to stability and human rights in data-challenged environments.

CIR’s work in West Africa explores how remote monitoring tools combined with human expertise can be used to better understand conflict actors; the interaction between dynamics including climate change, violent extremism and political, security and humanitarian developments, potential human rights violations, and how these converge to influence local and regional conflict dynamics.

Our work follows CIR’s methodology of independent collection, analysis, cross-referencing and verification of data, while considering what adaptations to open-source methods are needed in environments where internet connectivity and access to online data is limited, and generating lessons learnt.

We also monitor online and offline hate speech, and shifts in the information environment, identifying patterns of misinformation that may impact local perceptions and responses, including activity targeting minority groups. We are exploring new ways of raising awareness and tackling misinformation which undermines social cohesion through supporting stories and experiences of positive co-existence, understanding and dialogue between different groups and positive youth engagement in the information space.