Sahara-Sahel

  • 06 Feb 2017

    Liptako-Gourma: new joint task force

    Country: 
    Burkina Faso
    Mali
    Niger
    Topics: 
    Cross-border co-operation
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Body: 
    Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have a plan to create a new joint task force to fight insecurity in the Liptako-Gourma area. The decision was taken on 24 January in Niamey during the second Extra-ordinary Conference of Heads of State of the Integrated Development Authority of the Liptako-Gourma region. The region is at risk of becoming a sanctuary for terrorist groups and criminals of all kinds. Read on
  • 31 Jan 2017

    Gao attack threatening Mali's peace agreement

    Country: 
    Mali
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Body: 
    The murderous attack on the Joint Operational Mechanism base in Gao on 18 January threatens to undermine efforts to achieve peace in Mali. The attack, which killed nearly 80 people and injured more than 100, targeted a key feature of the Algiers peace agreement: joint patrols. These patrols, which bring together soldiers from the Malian military, members of the Co-ordination of Azawad Movements as well as from several militia groups, are aimed at securing areas that are currently beyond the control of authorities, particularly in the north. Read on
  • 30 Nov 2016

    Niger: Internal fragilities & regional threats

    Country: 
    Niger
    Topics: 
    Resilience
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    SWAC: 
    SWAC
    Body: 
    Niger is now facing three threats. In the west, Niger faces the risk of destabilisation coming from northern Mali; in the south, the influence of Boko Haram is growing, and in the north-east, the risks related to the war in Libya represents a serious cause for concern. Read on
  • 21 Nov 2016

    Mali: Low voter turnout and protests

    Country: 
    Mali
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Body: 
    Millions of Malians cast their ballots on 20 November 2016 to elect some 12 000 councillors across in the long-delayed municipal elections, which have been pushed back four times over the last two years. Only 640 of Mali’s 703 communes were able to hold elections, and they were marked by low voter turnout, protests and some incidents of violence. Read on
  • 06 Oct 2016

    France supports G5 Sahel armed forces

    Country: 
    Burkina Faso
    Chad
    Mali
    Mauritania
    Niger
    Senegal
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Members: 
    France
    Body: 
    According to a source from the French Ministry of the Interior, France plans to increase its support to Senegal and the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad) to help them deal with security challenges. About EUR 42 million of financial assistance is planned for the 2017-22 period, half of which will be used to acquire new equipment. Read on
  • 29 Sep 2016

    Mali: No peace in sight

    Country: 
    Mali
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Members: 
    France
    Body: 
    The 29 September 2016 report of the UN Secretary General on the situation in Mali presents a bleak appraisal of the past three months. It barely masks the widespread frustration over the continued lack of concrete progress in the peace agreement’s implementation. Problems include: violations of the ceasefire in the Kidal region; inter-communal clashes in the Mopti region; attacks against United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), etc. Read on
  • 12 Sep 2016

    CILSS Day focuses on water and agriculture

    Country: 
    Mali
    Topics: 
    Agriculture & Fisheries
    Climate & Climate change
    Food security & Nutrition
    Resilience
    Sahara-Sahel
    Members: 
    CILSS
    Body: 
    On the occasion of the 31st CILSS Day, the Malian President and current CILSS chairman, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (IBK), raised awareness about the importance of water for the Sahel and West Africa’s social and economic development. In his video message, he called for national and regional policies to support sustainable management of agricultural water resources. Water resource management will also help address the many challenges that the region faces such as food security, resilience and climate change. Read on
  • 13 Jul 2016

    Security Council reviews situation in the Sahel

    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Development co-operation
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Body: 
    On 11 July, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), delivered his first Security Council briefing on West Africa and the Sahel since the merging of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel (OSES), establishing UNOWAS. Read on
  • 28 Jun 2016

    West Africa: Investing in peace

    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Members: 
    Switzerland
    Body: 
    The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of the Swiss Confederation, organised a high-level meeting on the theme "Investing in peace and the prevention of violence in West Africa and the Sahel-Sahara" from 27 to 28 June in Dakar. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the causes of violence in West African societies and to identify ways to address them. Read on
  • 04 May 2016

    First Great Green Wall conference

    Country: 
    Burkina Faso
    Chad
    Mali
    Mauritania
    Niger
    Senegal
    Topics: 
    Climate & Climate change
    Development co-operation
    Environment
    Resilience
    Sahara-Sahel
    Body: 
    West African ministers came together to outline a course of action to accelerate progress on the Great Green Wall. The First Conference of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative was held from 2-7 May in Dakar, bringing together ministers from countries north and south of the Sahara as well as their development partners. Organised by the African Union, the high-level conference follows on the COP21 climate change conference, during which the international community pledged an additional USD 4 billion in support for the Great Green Wall over the next 5 years. Read on

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