FUNDING: NORWEGIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Section for Peace and Reconciliation of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported Promediation’s work in Mali, Libya, and the Sahel since 2014. It renewed its support in March 2022 for a 3-year period. The objective of the current project is to support peace processes and conflict prevention initiatives at the local, national, and regional levels through dialogue facilitation, mediation, empowerment of local actors, and the sharing of analyses in two main areas of intervention:
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- Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali)
In Mali, Promediation supported MINUSMA and the UN mediation team in the implementation of the Bamako Agreement, derived from the Algiers Process, by all Malian parties. In parallel, at the request of local communities or authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso, or Niger, Promediation opened channels with representatives of various armed groups and facilitated local negotiations, primarily in the Timbuktu, Gao, and Douentza regions of Mali, the Soum and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso, and the Tillabéri and Tahoua regions of Niger. In these three countries, Promediation was able to work in close coordination with local authorities (such as governors, mayors, and traditional leaders) and government bodies.
In Niger, Promediation and the Office of the President of the Republic signed a technical partnership to conduct negotiations with Nigerien citizens involved in the main active armed groups in northwestern Niger, leading to a period of calm for most of 2022. In 2023, Promediation’s efforts focused on cooperation with authorities and local groups in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, to foster regional cooperation and encourage Mali and Burkina Faso to engage in dialogue.
Promediation remains available to all stakeholders to facilitate or support mediation or negotiation processes. Promediation’s mediation efforts also led to a 9-month truce in northern Togo, thanks to a regional initiative aimed at building trust between the Government of Togo and transhumant herders at the country’s northern border.
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- Chad and Southern Libya
In Chad, Promediation supported a peaceful transition through its work with civil society and Chadian authorities. In particular, the NGO organized an unprecedented youth inclusion process through national consultations, with the Ministry of Youth. Promediation structured youth inclusion in this process by organizing 23 pre-forum consultations across Chad’s 23 provinces with 2,300 participants including all youth organizations. Furthermore, Promediation focuses on preventing instability along Chad’s borders, particularly in Southern Libya, Sudan, and northern Niger.
The presence of rebel armed groups in Southern Libya, particularly from Chad and Sudan, poses a series of cross-border security challenges. Over the years, these groups have leveraged their involvement in the Libyan conflict to access more funding and military equipment and have used Libya as a rear base to launch attacks against their respective countries.
Promediation has established relationships of trust with the leaders of the different communities present in Southern Libya, notably the Arab communities (Qaddadfa, Zwaya, Awlad Suleyman), Toubou, Tuareg, and Ahali, as well as with representatives of numerous armed groups present in the region. As such, it works to facilitate the return of foreign armed groups to Sudan and Chad, in coordination with the United Nations.