The 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa opened on Monday in Dakar. The theme chosen this year is: “Africa put to the test by exogenous shocks: challenges of stability and sovereignty”.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac
The opening ceremony was chaired by Head of State Macky Sall, who is also the current Chairman of the African Union. ” You have to look reality in the face “, he said at the outset, quoting ” the spread of terrorism on the continent, the resurgence of coups, foreign politico-military interference “, all this against the backdrop of the climate crisis, the Covid crisis and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
In short, the picture is not rosy, said Macky Sall, who insisted in his speech on the unconstitutional changes in Africa. ” These practices are not acceptable. They aggravate our ills “, did he declare.
On the fight against terrorism, UN peacekeeping operations have shown their limits “, continued the Senegalese head of state. “ It is time to change the doctrine. We can’t always rely on the outside “, he estimated, judging it urgent “ to make the African standby force operational “.
Portuguese-speaking Africa is in the spotlight this year with the participation of the Angolan presidents João Lourenço and Cape Verdean José Maria Neves. France and Japan are the main partners of the event again this year. And it is the Secretary of State in charge of Development and La Francophonie, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, who represents Paris for this edition, not the Minister of the Armed Forces or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as was the case in previous editions.
Among the foreign ministers present were the head of Malian diplomacy Abdoulaye Diop, his counterparts from the Central African Republic, Libya and Turkey. In total, more than 300 people participate in this forum which is held until Tuesday.