The pastoral crisis in the Sahel is intimately connected with the general economic crisis of the rural sector and the agropastoral system of the region. The loss of control of the land has resulted in a decline in the mobility of pastoralists and constitutes a major blow to their economic base. The solution to the present problem has to come from the pastoralists themselves along with a delimitation of the zones and the cultures. The integration of nomads into the political, social and economic life of their respective countries is fraught on account of the fact that there are almost invariably conflicts between nomadic and sedentary communities. This book examines the historical background that has given rise to the socio-economic development in Senegal, the relationship between agriculture and animal rearing, the various interest groups behind the economic system, and the political actors involved. The hypothesis is that the development of the agricultural sector is determined by the interests of the elites and nomads and rural populations are engaged in a latent conflict over dwindling natural resources.