The Sahel Summit

The situation in Mali and the Sahel continues to deteriorate. Despite significant international engagement and investment, violent extremism is increasing. The number of reported violent events linked to militant Islamic group activity in the Sahel has doubled every year since 2016, reaching 465 incidents in 2018. Violence also spread and then rapidly escalated in Niger and Burkina Faso in the past two years. As the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the Security Council, the Sahel region needs support from the international community “now more than ever.”

On September 11, 2019, the CSIS Africa Program will host a half-day conference examining the escalating violence in the Sahel. The conference will feature two expert panels, consisting of academics and policymakers from Europe, the Sahel, and the United States, who will discuss the state of play and response efforts. The opening and closing plenary and all panels will be live webcast from the CSIS website.

Agenda:

9:00 AM - Keynote Address

9:10 AM - Panel 1: The State of Play
A panel of academics will examine the political incentives and disincentives underlying the regional responses to the escalating violence in the Sahel.

10:45 AM - Panel 2: The Way Forward
U.S. and European officials will discuss the international architecture of the response efforts in the Sahel, including mechanisms to increase coordination and bridge gaps.

12:15 PM - Closing Remarks
Additional details, including event speakers, will be announced in the coming weeks.

This event is made possible with support to CSIS.