The Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, is set to host the second edition of the Forum on Climate, Peace, and Security for Sahel and Gulf of Guinea countries from October 6 to 8, 2026. This gathering aims to deepen regional synergies in addressing the intersecting challenges of climate change, security, and social cohesion. Mali is taking a prominent role in the forum, with Malian Minister of Environment, Sanitation, and Sustainable Development, Doumbia Mariam Tangara, leading the country's delegation.
The forum is being held under the theme "Consolidation of Peace and Climate Resilience: Building Integrated Responses to Crossed Challenges in the Sahel-Guinea Space." This theme underscores the need for an integrated approach to understanding the interactions between security, environmental, climate, economic, and social challenges in the region. For Mali, the stakes are high, as the country seeks to strengthen its responses to climate and security risks with a focus on conflict prevention and peace consolidation.
Minister Tangara is accompanied by a team of officials, including Ambassador Bakary Doumbia, technical advisor Sékou Koné, and Mamadou Samaké, coordinator of the "Climate Security and Sustainable Natural Resource Management" project. In the lead-up to the forum, she paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (APGMV), where she commended the team's commitment and met with Executive Secretary Almoustapha Garba.
During her visit to the APGMV headquarters, Minister Tangara, also the President of the Council of Ministers of the APGMV, expressed her appreciation for the agency's initiatives in promoting resilience. She emphasized that the APGMV is an African tool serving the populations and reiterated Mali's support for its activities. The minister also visited the Malian embassy in Nouakchott, where she conveyed greetings from the highest Malian authorities and called for strengthened cooperation between Mali and Mauritania.
The first edition of the forum was held in Bamako in November 2023, demonstrating the willingness of regional countries to address climate and security challenges in a concerted manner. The Nouakchott forum aims to build on this momentum, with a focus on developing integrated responses to the complex challenges facing the Sahel region. The Malian delegation's participation in the forum reflects the country's commitment to regional cooperation and its determination to address the pressing issues of climate change and security.
The forum brings together representatives from Sahel and Gulf of Guinea countries to discuss the intricate relationships between climate, peace, and security. The discussions are expected to center on strategies for building resilience and promoting sustainable development in the face of climate change and security threats. Mali's active engagement in the forum underscores its recognition of the need for collaborative approaches to addressing these challenges.
As the forum commences, stakeholders are looking forward to concrete outcomes and recommendations that can inform regional strategies for addressing climate and security challenges. With Mali at the forefront, the forum is poised to make a significant contribution to the development of integrated responses to these pressing issues in the Sahel region.
Key points
- Mali leads the charge at the Nouakchott Forum to address climate and security challenges in the Sahel region.
