NEW YORK, JUNE 13 – A warm meeting today took place at the Un Headquarters in New York between Italy’s Permanent Representative, Maurizio Massari, and the High Representative of the Coalition for the Sahel, Djimé Adoum.
Italy supports the Coalition’s work and its four pillars – the fight against terrorism, capacity building of the G5 Sahel States armed forces, support for the return of the State and Administrations in the territory, development assistance – the Italian Mission said on Twitter. The Coalition for the Sahel aims to facilitate the coordination and interaction between the various dimensions of international action to support the G5 Sahel countries. The aim is to ensure coherent action at the regional level, encompassing all levers and actors involved in the Sahel, including on security, political and development issues.
The Coalition was announced at the Pau Summit on 13 January 2020 by the Heads of State of France, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, in the presence of the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of the European Council, the European Union High Representative, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary General of La Francophonie. Italy is involved in the Sahel at the European level with former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emanuela Del Re, as EU Special Representative since July 1 2021. Her mandate is to lead the EU’s contribution to regional and international efforts for lasting peace, security and development in the Sahel. She also coordinates the EU’s comprehensive approach to the regional crisis, on the basis of the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.
Prior to his appointment as High Representative, Coalition for the Sahel, Djimé Adoum was Executive Secretary of the Permanent Interstates Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and former Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Chad. He has over 25 years of professional experience in international development, especially in SubSaharan Africa. As an agronomist, Djimé has occupied various positions in the field of research, agricultural extension, communication and strategy in the design of development programs in several countries, from South Africa to Egypt through Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, USA and Chad. He has worked for international organizations such as the World Bank and USAID, as well as for research institutes and in the implementation of development strategies. Before his tenure as minister, he served as a technical advisor to President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad. He holds a graduate degree in Agronomy, specifically in crop production and statistics, and a PhD in agronomy and agricultural extension from the University of Maryland. (@OnuItalia)
