Contributing to peace and reconciliation in the central Sahel and southern Libya
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:
- 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.
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.
- Chad and Southern Libya
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.
La présence de groupes armés rebelles dans le sud de la Libye, en particulier en provenance du Tchad et du Soudan, pose une série de problèmes de sécurité transfrontalières. Au fil des années, ces groupes ont profité de leur participation au conflit libyen pour accéder à davantage de financements et d’équipements militaires et ont utilisé la Libye comme une base arrière pour lancer des attaques contre leurs pays respectifs.
Promediation a établi des relations de confiance avec les dirigeants des différentes communautés présentes dans le sud de la Libye, notamment les communautés arabes (Qaddadfa, Zwaya, Awlad Suleyman), Toubou, Touareg et Ahali, ainsi qu’avec les représentants de nombreux groupes armés présents dans la région. À ce titre, elle s’efforce de faciliter le retour des groupes armés étrangers au Soudan et au Tchad, en coordination avec les Nations unies.