CEN-SAD Executive Council Session Opens in Tripoli as Libya Pushes for Secretariat Relocation

The 22nd ordinary session of CEN-SAD's Executive Council was opened in Tripoli by Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, with foreign ministers from eight member states and UN envoy Hanna Tetteh in attendance. The meeting focuses on restructuring the organisation and relaunching its institutions. The session brings together high-level representatives from Egypt, Tunisia, Chad, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guinea-Bissau.

In his address, Dbeibeh emphasised the need for stronger regional cooperation to tackle political, security, and economic challenges. He highlighted the importance of better coordination on counterterrorism, organised crime, and irregular migration, and urged member states to strengthen border security and regional stability. The Libyan premier also called for the bloc to move from coordination to concrete joint action, leveraging the capacities and resources of member states for the benefit of their populations.

Dbeibeh expressed hope that a timetable would be set to complete the transfer of CEN-SAD's executive secretariat to its headquarters in Tripoli. He reaffirmed Libya's readiness to support the organisation's activities and African integration. The executive secretariat was moved from Tripoli to N'Djamena, Chad, after 2011. Tripoli hosted a CEN-SAD meeting in April, the first in the Libyan capital since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

The meeting has drawn high-level attention, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meeting his Chadian counterpart, Abderaman Koulamallah, on the sidelines. They discussed strengthening bilateral relations and regional issues of common interest, including the relaunch of CEN-SAD institutions and expanded cooperation on counterterrorism, capacity building, and development.

CEN-SAD was founded in Tripoli on 4 February 1998 and comprises 28 African countries in the Sahel-Saharan area, holding observer status at the United Nations. The organisation aims to promote regional cooperation and integration among its member states. The current session seeks to revitalise the bloc's institutions and enhance its effectiveness in addressing regional challenges.

The participation of Hanna Tetteh, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Libya, underscores the international community's interest in the organisation's revitalisation. Her presence highlights the importance of regional cooperation in addressing security and development challenges in the Sahel-Saharan region. The meeting is expected to yield concrete outcomes and a renewed commitment to regional cooperation.

The 22nd CEN-SAD Executive Council Session is a significant step towards revitalising the organisation and enhancing regional cooperation. Key outcomes are expected to include a timetable for the relocation of the executive secretariat to Tripoli and strengthened cooperation on counterterrorism, organised crime, and migration. The session demonstrates Libya's commitment to supporting CEN-SAD's activities and promoting African integration.

Key points

• Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh calls for closer coordination on counterterrorism, organised crime, and migration.
• The 22nd CEN-SAD Executive Council Session aims to restructure the organisation and relaunch its institutions.
• CEN-SAD was founded in Tripoli on 4 February 1998 and comprises 28 African countries in the Sahel-Saharan area.