Attachments
Leonardo Santos
SIMAO Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of UNOWAS/CNMC
An unwavering commitment
On April 3, I had the honor of presenting the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on the political situation in West Africa and the Sahel. An opportunity to draw the attention of the international community, legitimately absorbed by geopolitical issues such as the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
In addition to the political and security tensions raging in the sub-region, the economic pressures of high inflation and excessive debt are severely affecting governments’ ability to meet the priority needs of their populations and invest in essential infrastructure.
Despite a regional and international context increasingly marked by economic, political and security shocks and crises, it is vital to remain mobilized and act in a coordinated manner using comprehensive approaches and effective partnerships to consolidate peace, stability and development in West Africa and the Sahel. We have every reason to be optimistic about the future of the people of West Africa, as significant progress has been made and deserves to be encouraged.
In Burkina Faso, the authorities have declared that they control over 70% of the territory, and are attempting to re-establish stable governance through national consultations; in Mali, 2,000 out of 3,000 former combatants have already joined the regular armed forces as part of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process; in Mauritania, dialogue has begun between the government and the opposition, while in Guinea, elections are due to be held by the end of the year.
Even if the implementation of action plans for the empowerment of women and young people needs to be accelerated, it nevertheless remains a key axis of efforts to improve governance in the sub-region, where a significant number of countries have adopted laws to promote the participation of women in political life, as in Senegal and Ghana.
We must reinforce and protect these achievements.
Our commitment to the authorities and peoples of the sub-region is unwavering. In the face of the various challenges hindering their march towards peace and prosperity, we remain mobilized to continue working hand in hand with national and regional stakeholders to safeguard peace and contribute to the prosperity of the populations of West Africa and the Sahel.