Ulf Lessing

Ulf Lessing is a notable researcher and the director of the regional program for the Sahel at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali since 2021. With extensive experience in journalism, he previously led the Thomson Reuters bureau in Egypt and Sudan and has held significant positions covering Nigeria and North Africa. Based in Bamako, Lessing has a deep understanding of the political and security challenges facing the Sahel region, particularly in the context of recent military coups and the shifting dynamics of international relations, notably concerning the influence of Russia and Turkey in West Africa.