The headquarters of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) was reopened in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in the past few hours, in what many described as an incentive for member states to improve the coordination of development policies and enhance freedom of movement among them.

Revitalizing the Sahel and Sahara Group

During the opening ceremony, Senegal affirmed its commitment to regional stability and cooperation among the Sahel and Sahara countries, through the Senegalese Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Niang, stressing the importance of institutionally revitalizing the organization.

The Libyan-Senegalese talks, held between the Senegalese minister and his Libyan counterpart on the sidelines of the ceremony, focused on exploring new avenues of cooperation in the areas of diplomacy, migration, and security. Both sides emphasized the importance of adopting a unified approach to confront regional challenges, considering the revitalization of the Sahel and Sahara Group of States as a key means of achieving continental solidarity and shared economic prosperity.

It is worth noting that the group was founded in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on February 4, 1998, during the era of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, based on his initiative, during a summit that brought him together with the leaders of Mali, Chad, Niger, Sudan, and a representative of the President of Burkina Faso. It includes 25 African countries around the Sahara and the Sahel.

The group consists of Libya, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia.