Publication of the First Sahel Europe Dialogue Forum
9 July 2021
The International Security Centre's ambition is to become a European reference centre on the Sahel. The organisation of the 1st Sahel Europe Dialogue Forum last March was a first step in this direction. One of the main fruits of this dialogue has been the creation of a Network of Experts made up of European and African academics who will continue studies and debates on our common challenges and interests. In the near future we will organise a new Forum, hopefully with the physical presence of some of the participants, which will serve as a new meeting point on the road we want to travel together.
Descargue el documento en francés, inglés y español
We have the dual conviction that the Sahel has become Africa's strategic centre of gravity and that this continent is key to Europe's future. Faced with Europe's demographic decline and ageing, the African continent will double its population in the next decade with a majority of young people. Africa also has a wealth of natural resources and immense potential for growth. China's growing presence on the continent is a good illustration of the strategic interest Africa should have for Europe.
___
Dr. Ignacio Cosidó is Director of the Centre for International Security at the Francisco de Vitoria University.
General Francisco Dacoba is Brigadier General and Director of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE).
This analysis is part of an ongoing line of research by the International Security Centre on the Sahel. Following the Sahel-Europe Dialogue Forum organised in March 2021, speakers belonging to the Sahel- Europe Dialogue Forum Expert Group have deepened the themes of their conferences, analysing the shared challenges, and the opportunities for cooperation on our common challenges. The political crises in Mali and Chad link the security crisis to governance challenges in these states, where the presence of self-defence militias and jihadist groups hinder economic and social development. In such a changing environment, with the Sahel being Europe's advanced frontier, it is now more important than ever to promote a space for dialogue in which both regions can share, cooperate and propose innovative solutions. This series of publications, as well as the Sahel-Europe Dialogue Forum, have received a grant from the General Secretariat for Defence Policy of the Ministry of Defence.
Comments