Publication of the 3rd Sahel-Europe Dialogue Forum
April 30th, 2024
The third Sahel Europe Dialogue Forum was held in Madrid (Spain) on the 10th and 11th July 2023. Organized by the Centre for International Security of the Francisco de Vitoria University’s Centre for the Global Common Good, the Forum served as a platform for dialogue between actors from the Sahel, West Africa, and Europe. It provided an opportunity to analyse the main risks and challenges in terms of security, diplomatic and humanitarian crises, and governance, and to propose practical solutions to these issues. During the Forum, one of the roundtables, co-organized with Tournons La Page , posed the question: "How can the international community and regional organizations support military transitions towards democratic and transparent processes?" This article aims to summarize some of the analysis and recommendations made during the debate whilst also capturing some of the contextual changes that have occurred since the Forum, in particular the coup d'état in Niger which took place two weeks later, on 26 July 2023.
Download the document in French, English and Spanish
Global democracy has experienced a significant decline over the past decade. This trend has affected all geographical regions, with a notable deterioration in freedom of expression marked by increasing repression of civil society. According to the V-Dem Institute's Democracy Report 2023, the majority of the world's population resides in countries with autocratic regimes, and the quality of elections have greatly deteriorated, often marred by irregularities and lack of transparency. In line with this global trend, Africa, and in particular West Africa and the Sahel, is experiencing a growing democratic deficit.
Lead researchers
Mathieu Pourchier, Executive Director of Tournons la Page
Brigitte Ameganvi, Member of the Tournons la Page Board, former President of the Synergie-Togo association and Founder of the consulting firm EASE-Consulting
Rodrigue Ahego, Tournons La Page-Togo (TLP-Togo) Programme Manager.
Beatriz de León Cobo, Director of the Sahel-Europe Dialogue Forum (Francisco de Vitoria University).
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