Civilian expertise needed: consultations on the situation in the Sahel

Earlier this week, the EU Special Representative for the Sahel, Emanuela Claudia Del Re, visited Berlin to discuss the political situation and the starting points for European and international engagement. She was accompanied by her political advisor, ZIF expert Dr. Fidelis Etah Ewane. Among others, they met Minister of State Katja Keul at the Federal Foreign Office and, together with Dr. Astrid Irrgang, Executive Director of ZIF, accepted the invitation of the Italian ambassador to a political dinner with representatives of the government, political foundations and embassies. The central question was what challenges the Sahel region is facing and what prospects are realistic.

Germany should definitely remain involved in the Sahel region, as the situation of the civilian population in particular is catastrophic. The illegitimate military governments, which legitimized their seizure of power in some countries of the region with the precarious security situation, have so far achieved no improvements - on the contrary, the situation on the ground has deteriorated massively in some cases. However, further engagement is not only necessary for humanitarian reasons and questions of stabilization, but also because the countries of the Sahel are both countries of origin and transit for refugees. With their engagement, Germany and the EU are trying to keep spaces for dialogue open and give the region new impetus for democratization.

The German personnel seconded by ZIF in the Sahel region play an important role in the remaining missions in the region, or as advisors to the EU Special Representatives - a real added value for German foreign policy.