It was a sure bet, in terms of commitments at least. In the opinion of all the participants, the high-level international conference on the Sahel – which was hosted in Brussels on Friday 23 February under the aegis of the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union and the group of G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad) – was a success. But the pledges now need to be fulfilled.
The conference succeeded in mobilising increased political and...