The West African country intends to eradicate the terrorist threat in its border areas based on a holistic approach that takes into account the issue of social cohesion and socio-economic development.
To this end, the government is developing an integrated border management policy (land, air, sea) in order to have a definitive reference tool that will provide adequate responses to border issues.
The Minister of Interior and Security, Vagondo Diomande, representing Prime Minister Patrick Achi, opened the 2022 edition of Abidjan Border Forum on Tuesday, during which he shared the Ivorian government’s vision for border management.
General Vagondo Diomandé recalled the attacks that occurred in northern Cote d’Ivoire, on the border with Burkina Faso, which led to the intensification of the government’s border management policy.
He also welcomed the opportunity of the Abidjan forum, which provides a framework for reflection and sharing of negative and non-negative cross-border issues in order to identify the stakes and challenges at the various borders.
The Minister encouraged the National Borders Commission of Cote d’Ivoire (CNFCI), initiator of the forum, to pursue its assigned objectives. For Soro Kapeletien, representing Kandia Camara, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and the Diaspora, who is also the first vice-president of the CNFCI, it is a question of making cross-border cooperation a real tool for social cohesion, integration and socio-economic development of these areas.
Border management appears to be an essential lever for ensuring security, peace and sustainable socio-economic development in border areas. To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to involve state and non-state border actors in the management of these borders.
It is therefore with good reason that the organization of this forum is welcomed, considering its major objective of federating ideas on the theme of cross-border management. Over three days, the actors and experts gathered will discuss the central theme, namely “Borders and collective security.”
AP/fss/abj/APA