Hungary’s Military Presence and Interests in the Sahel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35926/HDR.2025.2.7Kulcsszavak:
migration routes, Sahel region, activities of the Hungarian Defence Forces abroadAbsztrakt
In the introduction, the main African migration routes and their impact on Europe, including Hungary, will be presented. This is followed by the activities of the European Union and Hungary in the region to curb migration. In the next section, the current location of Hungarian troops in the Sahel, the tasks of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the reason why they are there, and Hungarian interests in the region will be presented. The local allies and other powers in the region will be described. Finally, possible countries where the Hungarian Defence Forces could be present in the future will be outlined. The thesis will be concluded with a coherent summary where lessons learned will be drawn.
Hivatkozások
• Abebe, Tsion Tadesse: Fewer migrants to Europe, bigger problems for Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/fewer-migrants-to-europe-biggerproblems-for-africa#:~:text=Migration%20from%20Africa%20to%20Europe%20is%20increasingly%20being,but%20have%20also%20had%20several%20unintended%20negative%20consequences (Accessed: 03/04/2025)
• Central Mediterranean. Frontex, 2024. https://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Migratory_routes/2025/ANNEX_Central-Mediterranean_up-to-2023.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Csuhaj, Ildikó: Megszavazták: 200 magyar katonát küldenek a világ egyik legveszélyesebb pontjára. ATV, 2023. https://www.atv.hu/belfold/20231106/megszavaztak-200-magyar-katonatkuldenek-a-vilag-egyik-legveszelyesebb-pontjara (Accessed: 09/04/2025)
• Eastern Borders. Frontex, 2023. https://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Migratory_routes/2025/ANNEX_Eastern-borders_up-to-2023.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Eastern Mediterranean. Frontex, 2023. https://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Migratory_routes/2025/ANNEX_Eastern-Mediterranean_up-to-2023.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Egbejule, Eromo: France begins military withdrawal from Chad as influence in Africa wanes. The Guardian, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/10/france-begins-militarywithdrawal-from-chad-as-influence-in-africa-wanes (Accessed: 10/04/2025)
• Etyang, Oita – Panyako, Simon Oswan: China’s Footprint in Africa’s Peace and Security: The Contending Views. JSTOR, The African Review: A Journal of African Politics, Development and International Affairs, Vol. 47, No. 2 (2020), 336–356 https://www.jstor.org/stable/48659817?read-now=1&seq=4#page_scan_tab_contents (Accessed: 11/04/2025)
• Ez lett a migráció eredménye Európában. Magyar Nemzet, 2024. https://magyarnemzet.hu/belfold/2024/02/ez-lett-a-migracio-eredmenye-europaban (Accessed: 04/04/2025)
• Grün, Gianna-Carina: How the EU spent billions to halt migration from Africa. DW, 2022. https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-eu-spent-billions-to-halt-migration-from-africa/a-61362906 (Accessed: 04/04/2025)
• Prof. Idemudia, Erhabor – Prof. Dr. Boehnke, Klaus: Patterns and Current Trends in African Migration to Europe. Springer Nature, 2020, 15–31. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/ 978-3-030-48347-0_2 (Accessed: 03/04/2025)
• Improvements to Infrastructure in Chad Countering Extremism. The Borgen Project, 2017. https://borgenproject.org/infrastructure-in-chad/ (Accessed: 09/07/2025)
• Kancs, d’Artis – Lecca, Patrizio: Long-term Social, Economic and Fiscal Effects of Immigration into the EU: The Role of the Integration Policy. JRC Technical Reports, 2017, 1–3. https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/sites/futurium/files/jrc107441_wp_kancs_and_lecca_2017_4.pdf (Accessed: 03/04/2025)
• László, Anna Luca: „Olyan műveletekben kell részt venni, ahol lehet puskaport szagolni” – mit keresnek a magyar katonák Csádban? 24.hu, 2024. https://24.hu/kulfold/2024/01/06/afrika-hungary-helps-magyar-misszio-csad-politikai-tarsadalmi-helyzet-migracio/ (Accessed: 09/04/2025)
• Lengyel, Tibor: A csádi elnök kérte, most mégis ő blokkolja a magyar katonai missziós programot. hvg, 2025. (Accessed: 18/10/2025)
• Lengyel, Tibor: Magyar katonák mennek a közép-afrikai Csádba „harctéri mentornak”, de valójában hét ország területén is harcolhatnak. hvg, 2023. https://hvg.hu/itthon/20231106_Magyar_katonak_mennek_a_kozepafrikai_Csadba_harcteri_mentornak_de_valojaban_het_orszag_teruleten_is_harcolhatnak (Accessed: 07/04/2025)
• List of African countries by GDP. 2025 Statistics Times, 2025. https://statisticstimes.com/economy/african-countries-by-gdp.php#:~:text=Out%20of%2053%20economies%2C%20the%20nominal%20GDP%20of,and%20Ethiopia%20%28%24-24.1%20bn%29%20are%20the%20top%20decliners (Accessed: 04/04/2025)
• MacGregor, Marion: Changing journeys: Migrant routes to Europe. Info Migrants, 2019. https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/15005/changing-journeys-migrant-routes-to-europe (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Magyar katonai szerepvállalás a Száhel-övezetben. kormany.hu, 2021. https://kormany.hu/hirek/magyar-katonai-szerepvallalas-a-szahel-ovezetben (Accessed: 07/04/2025)
• Magyarország átfogó stratégiai együttműködést épít fel Csáddal. kormany.hu, 2024. https://kormany.hu/hirek/magyarorszag-atfogo-strategiai-egyuttmukodest-epit-fel-csaddal (Accessed: 29/05/2025)
• Magyarország széles körű együttműködést indít Csáddal a régiós stabilitás erősítése céljából. kormany.hu, 2024. https://kormany.hu/hirek/magyarorszag-szeles-koru-egyuttmukodest-inditcsaddal-a-regios-stabilitas-erositese-celjabol (Accessed: 29/05/2025)
• Mant, Kitty – Patel, Jaynisha– Munasinghe, Sandun: From Crisis to Conflict: Climate Change and Violent Extremism in the Sahel. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, 2024. https://institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/from-crisis-to-conflict-climate-change-and-violentextremism-in-the-sahel (Accessed: 31/03/2025)
• Marsai, Viktor: Rejtő nyomában II – Magyarország és a Magyar Honvédség csádi szerepvállalása. NKE: Stratégiai Védelmi Kutatási Elemzések, 2024. https://www.uni-nke.hu/document/jli-uninke-hu/JLI_SVKP_Elemz%C3%A9sek_2024_7.pdf (Accessed: 08/04/2025)
• Marton, Máté: Mit keresnek a magyarok Csádban? Index, 2024. https://index.hu/kulfold/2024/10/01/csad-magyarorszag-katonai-misszio-gazdasag-nyersanyag-koncesszio (Accessed: 09/04/2025)
• Migratory Routes. Frontex, 2024. https://www.frontex.europa.eu/what-we-do/monitoring-andrisk-analysis/migratory-routes/migratory-routes/ (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Molenaar, Fransje – Tubiana, Jérôme – Warin, Clotilde: Caught in the middle – A human rights and peace-building approach to migration governance in the Sahel. CRU Report, 2018. https://www.clingendael.org/pub/2018/caught-in-the-middle/introduction/ (Accessed: 09/07/2025)
• Nagar, Dawn – Nganje, Fritz: Security and Governance in the Great Lakes Region. In: War and Peace in the Great Lakes Region. JSTOR, Centre for Conflict Resolution, 2016, 9–11. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep05184.7?seq=1 (Accessed: 11/04/2025)
• N’Djamena puts the brakes on Hungarian military deployment. Africa Intelligence, 2025. (Accessed: 18/10/2025)
• Newly restructured, the Islamic State in the Sahel aims for regional expansion. JSTOR, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, 2024, 1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep63563.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3Aa47430fdfdd125ae966b66eb9cd34e69&ab_segments=&initiator=&acceptTC=1 (Accessed: 11/04/2025)
• Pronk, Danny – Van der Graaf, Myrthe: Outpost of Empire: Base politics with Chinese characteristics. JSTOR, 2020, 1–2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep24651.pdf?refreqid=fastlydefault%3A7acff2c4f60c6535d778e0e3f867317a&ab_segments=&initiator=&acceptTC=1 (Accessed: 11/04/2025)
• Renoult, Judith: Italy, Niger’s last Western partner. Le Monde, 2024. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2024/07/25/italy-niger-s-last-western-partner_6697782_124.html (Accessed: 10/04/2025)
• Reuters: Chad air force chief orders US to halt activities at army base, letter shows. Reuters, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/chad-air-force-chief-orders-us-halt-activities-armybase-letter-shows-2024-04-19/ (Accessed: 10/04/2025)
• Reuters: Germany to keep military base in Niger open under temporary deal, Berlin says. Reuters, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-keep-military-base-niger-open-undertemporary-deal-berlin-says-2024-05-28/ (Accessed: 10/04/2025)
• Sahel Region: Location, Countries, Significance & Issues – UPSC Notes. Testbook, 2025. https://testbook.com/ias-preparation/sahel-region (Accessed: 31/03/2025)
• Suleiman, Muhammad Dan: Sahel region, Africa. The Conversation, 2017. https://theconversation.com/sahel-region-africa-72569 (Accessed: 31/03/2025)
• Terren, Ludovic – Van Aelst, Peter – Van Damme, Thomas: SHIFTING ALLIANCES IN WEST AFRICA: Measuring Russian engagement to support counter-FIMI strategies. JSTOR, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), 2025. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep67336 Page: 2-4 (Accessed: 11/04/2025)
• The main migration routes to the European Union. 2021 Info Migrants, 2021. https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/36391/the-main-migration-routes-to-the-european-union (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Turkey Expands Military Presence in Chad Following French Withdrawal. 2025 African Security Analysis, 2025. https://www.africansecurityanalysis.com/updates/turkey-expands-military-presence-in-chad-following-french-withdrawal (Accessed: 10/04/2025)
• Usherwood, Simon: What are the EU’s new migration rules, and why did they take so long to pass? The Conversation, 2024. https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-eus-new-migrationrules-and-why-did-they-take-so-long-to-pass-227692 (Accessed: 04/04/2025)
• Western African Route. Frontex, 2024. https://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Migratory_routes/2025/ANNEX_Western-African-Route_up-to-2023.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/2025)
• Wilén, Nina: A Break with the Past: The End of French Military Presence in Chad and Senegal. JSTOR, Egmont Institute, 2024, 1–5. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep67778.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3A794ceeba918744d98ab5fe0db3c14294&ab_segments=&initiator=&acceptTC=1 (Accessed: 15/04/2025)
• Alex: Main migration routes into Europe from Africa & the Middle East. Vivid Maps, 2016. https://vividmaps.com/main-migration-routes-into-europe-fro/ (Accessed: 30/05/2025)
• Central Mediterranean route to Europe. Clingendael, 2018. https://www.clingendael.org/pub/2018/caught-in-the-middle/introduction/ (Accessed: 09/07/2025)
• Sahel Of Africa. WorldAtlas, no year. https://www.worldatlas.com/regions/sahel-of-africa.html (Accessed: 30/05/2025)
• Statistics on migration to Europe. European Union, 2025. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/statistics-migration-europe_en?utm_source=chatgpt.com#employment-of-immigrants (Accessed: 30/05/2025)
