Religious and traditional leaders from five West African nations call for peace and social cohesion in the Sahel
Religious and traditional leaders from Burkina Faso, C么te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Niger convened in Bamako on March 26-27, 2026, to address the persistent, multidimensional crisis in the Sahel and West Africa. This crisis, spanning over a decade, encompasses security, humanitarian, socio-political, geopolitical, and economic challenges, fueled by economic vulnerability, erosion of shared values, governance deficiencies, resource conflicts, and the instrumentalization of identities. Initially concentrated in the Central Sahel, the crisis has expanded to coastal Gulf of Guinea countries, bringing violence to previously stable regions. The leaders issued a call to various stakeholders. They urged perpetrators of attacks and massacres to cease violence, emphasizing the sanctity of life. They called on public authorities to prioritize population protection and human development, promote exemplary governance with social justice, and support the efforts of religious and customary leaders. They stressed the necessity of cross-border and regional cooperation to tackle the security crisis. The Sahel Peace Initiative SPI was highlighted as a tool for peace, requiring support to mobilize leaders for collective action. Community and religious leaders were asked to use their moral authority for interreligious dialogue, promoting human dignity, religious freedom, and shared human values. International actors were called upon to play a positive role in global geopolitical reconfiguration
