In September, NIMD and Gorée Institute organized a Regional Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Forum on Gorée Island, as part of our joint Power of Dialogue programme.
Participants of Forum included members of civil society, political actors, representatives of state and non-state institutions, and MPs from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal.
Following the Forum, these participants have released a call, setting out their recommendations to tackle the region’s multifaceted governance and security crises. The call is addressed to the countries’ transitional authorities, civil society organizations, political parties and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
It takes into account recent coups in the region. And it aims to safeguard the fragile transition processes that will define the future of these countries and the region.
In particular, the call highlights the importance of involving all stakeholders in the resolution of political and security crises in the Sahel, and the important role ECOWAS and other regional organizations can play towards successful transitions and political stability in the Sahel.
The call
The regional participants made three specific demands:
- They asked sub-regional and regional organizations to mobilize and pool their efforts to bring peace and stability back to the region.
- They called on ECOWAS to find ways to put an end to the escalation of violence, and encourage political parties to engage in dialogue towards lasting peace.
- They asked the transitional authorities in Mali and Burkina Faso to adopt an inclusive and participatory approach in the implementation of political reforms during the transitions.
The call also included specific recommendations to ECOWAS, the transitional authorities, civil society organizations and political parties. Among them, was the call to parties to take part in constructive political dialogue and to promote training and awareness raising among citizens, as a step towards free and transparent elections at the end of the transition.
Read the full call (in French).
The Forum
The Regional Multi-Stakeholder Forum brought together political and civic actors from across the Sahel Region. It created a space for exchange, discussion and reflection on the growing threats to political stability and development. As such, the Forum was an opportunity for the participants to take a more regional approach, working together to reach consensus and a shared plan of action.
Discover more about the Forum (video in French)
Through this Forum, NIMD and Gorée hoped to provide the opportunity for the participants to jointly influence policy makers at national and regional levels.
About the Power of Dialogue Consortium
The Power of Dialogue Consortium consists of NIMD, the Gorée Institute (Senegal), Akina Mama wa Africa – AMwA (Uganda) and the Centre des Études Méditerranéennes Internationales – CEMI (Tunisia).
The Consortium focuses on empowering women, youth and other marginalized groups to effectively influence and participate in political processes, in order to ultimately build more sustainable and inclusive societies.
The Power of Dialogue programme started in 2021 and will run until 2025. It is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme is being implemented across Africa, America and Asia, including in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal.