Senegal began hosting the 10th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security this Monday at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center in Diamniadio.
The landmark event officially opened at 9:00 a.m., drawing several high-profile African leaders to the capital. On the eve of the forum, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye received Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who is attending both as a head of state and in his capacity as the current chair of the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani is also among the prominent participants joining the discussions.
Themed “Africa Facing the Challenges of Stability, Integration and Sovereignty: What Lasting Solutions?”, the forum seeks to move beyond traditional security models to address a proliferation of complex threats. According to the organizers at the Center for Advanced Studies in Defense and Security, African nations are currently battling a convergence of armed conflict, terrorism, climate change impacts, transnational crime, and cyber threats. In response, the forum advocates for a comprehensive approach that prioritizes human, economic, environmental, and technological dimensions while maintaining strict respect for state sovereignty.
The two-day program is structured around plenary sessions and thematic workshops designed to produce operational recommendations. The first day focuses on the nuances of sovereignty, specifically addressing digital independence, the management of strategic resources, and the complexities of political transitions. On Tuesday, the agenda shifts toward regional integration and collective security, with specific attention paid to the development of the African defense industry and the worrying expansion of terrorist activities from the Sahel region toward coastal states. The forum will conclude Tuesday afternoon with a general synthesis and an official closing ceremony led by the Senegalese Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs.
AC/lb/abj/APA