Third Annual Sahel Symposium: “Creating a Safe Space for Analysts, Activists and Scholars”
University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group & International Crisis Group’s Sahel Project
West Africa Research Center, Dakar, Senegal, May 13-14, 2024
About the SRG/ICG annual symposium
For the past two years, the University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group (SRG) and the International Crisis Group’s (ICG) Sahel Project have co-sponsored an annual symposium, intended to promote dialogue and exchange between academics and policy-makers about the extraordinary challenges facing the Sahel as a region.
Background and Objective
The experience of these very fruitful exchanges leads us to propose an expanded version of the symposium this year, to be held in the region, and in a change, involving over a dozen public intellectuals from Mali, Burkina and Niger as well as observers from various countries and organizations. The Sahelian situation continues to evolve rapidly, with increasingly high stakes both for the region and internationally.
The past year has seen an unexpected coup in Niger and controversy around the ongoing transition in Chad, while on the positive front Senegal experienced a peaceful democratic transition. Alliances across the region have shifted as the Sahel is increasingly drawn into global geopolitical battles. Of particular concern, transitional governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger increasingly have taken measures to stifle dissent from both internal and external critics, often using authoritarian and violent means. In this context, analysts, activists, and scholars in the Sahel often struggle to freely express their perspectives on conflict dynamics and political developments.
In response to this situation, the Sahel Research Group and Crisis Group propose to structure our third annual symposium so as to create a safe space where local public intellectuals, experts and policymakers can exchange ideas freely. By fostering conversation on the region and its issues, we hope to refine our analysis and create a network of scholars and activists in open dialogue about the multiple challenges of the region. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the free exchange of trustworthy information, which we believe is key to halting the surge in displacement and violence resulting from this decade-long crisis.
Organizing Committee
- Leonardo Villalón, Sahel Research Group, University of Florida.
- Jean-Hervé Jezequel, International Crisis Group Sahel Project, Dakar.
Speakers and Participants
In addition to members of the University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group and International Crisis Group analysts, we invited a number of key “voices from the Sahel,” including scholars, journalists, analysts, and civil society leaders, to serve as panelists and roundtable participants. A selected number of policymakers and other key stakeholders were also invited to attend the symposium and participate in discussions.
Output
Following the symposium, ICG’s Sahel Project will produce a policy brief under Chatham House rules. The policy brief is not intended for publication and will be circulated to a limited number of partners.
Symposium Agenda