On Thursday 16 July, the Brussels International Center, in collaboration with the Centro Studi Internazionali (CeSi), is going to host a webinar “Rethinking Governance and Security in the Sahel : Towards an action-oriented approach”. The event will be held online from 14.00 to 15.30. Participants can register on the following link: https://bit.ly/2BWzHaV
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanitarian crisis across the Sahel has dramatically intensified as non- state armed groups are exploiting the sanitarian emergency and the deterioration in security to establish themselves in the region. By shattering local authorities governance, this situation is hitting vulnerable populations and worsening social and economic conditions. The uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 has aggravated food insecurity and disrupted cohesion between communities already suffering from weak governance and the effects of climate change.
The debate will bring together a panel of experts from different backgrounds to discuss strategies for a reformed approach to governance in the Sahel considering the COVID-19 crisis. It will examine ongoing local initiatives that have been implemented to curb instability in the region, with a special focus on the situation in Mali and Niger.
Confirmed speakers include :
- H.E Angel Losada, EU Special Representative for the Sahel.
- Mr. Karounga Keita, Director Sahel Office, Wetlands International.
- Ms. Delina Goxho, Security Analyst on Protection of Civilians and Remote Warfare in the Sahel, Open Society Foundations
- Mr. Mauro Lorenzini, Head of Central and Western Africa Bureau, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Ms. Alviina Alametsä, Member of the European Parliament, Shadow-Rapporteur on the EU-African Security Cooperation in the Sahel region
The event will be moderated by Mr. Brandon Locke, Strategic Adviser for Security Policy & Planning at the BIC and Mr. Marco Di Liddo, Senior Analyst Africa at Centro Studi Internazionali (C.e.S.i.).