Stimulus
Text extract (adapted): "Across the central Sahel, in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, some of the world's poorest people live alongside some of its fastest-growing armed insurgencies. Jihadist groups recruit where the state is absent, offering pay, protection and a sense of purpose to young men with no other prospects. Governments and their foreign partners poured money into soldiers, bases and drones; between 2020 and 2023 the region also saw a wave of military coups. Yet violence spread and poverty deepened. Aid workers argue that you cannot shoot your way out of hunger: without schools, jobs and functioning services, every fighter killed is soon replaced by another the poverty produced."
(d) Evaluate the extent to which breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict requires prioritising development over military security.
Essay preview
Breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict does require a strong emphasis on development, but not development instead of security. Poverty can be understood as a lack of resources, services and opportunities for a decent life, while security here refers mainly to protection from violent threats through military means.