12th meeting of the Coalition for the Sahel’s Contact Group

17 March 2025

At the invitation of the High Representative of the Coalition for the Sahel, H.E. Mr. Hamadi Meimou, 42 partner states and organizations, 13 of which from Africa, took part in the 12th Contact Group of Senior Officials on February 13, 2025, focusing on the theme: “Faced with exacerbated challenges, should we reset the multilateral approach in the Sahel and its neighborhood, and how?”. Read the report here.

 

 

The discussions took place behind closed doors, under the Chatham House Rule. They were chaired by Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), and moderated by H.E. Ms. Rita Laranjinha, Executive Director for Africa at the European External Action Service.

 

 

The meeting was preceded by speeches from H.E. Ms Martha Pobee, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Africa, H.E. Mr João Cravinho, European Union Special Representative for the Sahel, H.E. Mr Demane Hamar, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Mr Ahmat Sakine Awad, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the EU.

 

In addition, alongside the meeting, participants heard a presentation on “Armed Conflict and Infrastructure in the Sahel” by the OECD’s Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC), given by Dr. Olivier Walther. The Norwegian Refugee Council then spoke about the issues surrounding humanitarian access in the region.