The 2023 Sectoral Review of the Ministry of Health of Mauritania reports on progress towards universal health coverage, in line with the National Health Development Plan (PNDS) 2022-2030. It highlights advances in human resources, infrastructure, equipment and health financing, with activities such as capacity building of personnel and construction of health structures. However, challenges persist, particularly in terms of availability of medicines and governance of the health system. The review recommends better coordination with technical and financial partners, improvement of monitoring mechanisms and optimization of the use of data for decision-making. The outlook includes continued efforts to strengthen the health system and achieve the objectives of the PNDS, with an emphasis on the effectiveness of interventions and the mobilization of necessary resources.

Governance, Health, Couverture sanitaire

Burkina Faso is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, marked by growing insecurity and massive population displacement. In 2018, attacks by armed groups, particularly in the Sahel, Centre-North, East and North regions, forced more than two million people to flee their homes, seeking refuge in safer areas. This situation exacerbates tensions between communities, particularly between herders and farmers, and puts additional pressure on natural resources already weakened by climate change. Basic infrastructure, such as health centres and schools, are often targeted, limiting access to essential services for displaced populations. Despite the efforts of the authorities and humanitarian organisations, assistance remains insufficient given the scale of the needs, and insecurity hinders access to some affected areas.

Governance, Agriculture, Livestock, Security, Violence, Crisis, Déplacement forcé

The article highlights the urgency of establishing inclusive development in the Sahel and West Africa to counter the growing destabilization of the region. The author, drawing on her humanitarian experience, highlights local initiatives led by authorities, community leaders, women's and youth associations, particularly in the areas of education and training. However, she deplores the fact that current political decisions neglect the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, thus exacerbating their precariousness. She calls for collective mobilization to build productive, supportive and dignified African societies, rather than constantly recovering from repeated crises.

Education, Development, Women, Vulnerability

The Royal Atlantic Initiative, announced by King Mohammed VI on November 6, 2023, aims to provide landlocked Sahelian countries—Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad—with access to the Atlantic Ocean via the port of Dakhla. This project allows Morocco to strengthen its sovereignty over Western Sahara, while offering Sahelian states an economic alternative to their isolation, which has been accentuated by ECOWAS sanctions following coups d’état. However, logistical and territorial challenges remain, including the lack of common borders between Morocco and these countries, requiring the cooperation of Mauritania, which remains cautious about its involvement.

Sovereignty, Governance

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) paper highlights increasing attacks on education in the Central Sahel, including in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, between 2015 and 2019. These attacks, often perpetrated by armed groups opposed to French-language education, include the burning and looting of schools, as well as threats, kidnappings, or killings of teachers. State and non-state forces have also used schools for military purposes, exacerbating insecurity. GCPEA recommends measures to protect education, such as implementing the Safe Schools Declaration, prosecuting those responsible for attacks, and implementing education programs that are tailored to local contexts.

Governance, Education, Military activity, Protection

The article “Terrorism in the Sahel: the Mauritanian exception” looks at the reasons why Mauritania has not experienced jihadist attacks since 2011, unlike its Sahelian neighbors. This exceptional situation is the result of a multidimensional and pragmatic strategy, adapted to the specificities of the Sahel and to the war in the desert. Under the leadership of General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the army underwent a major overhaul, with a substantial increase in the military budget, leading to the creation of Special Intervention Groups (GSI). These elite, light and mobile units are designed to operate autonomously in the desert. In addition, Mauritania has established fixed checkpoints on cross-border roads and has designated certain desert areas as “military zones.” This approach, combining military modernization and adaptation to local realities, has allowed the country to regain control of its territory and serve as an example in the fight against jihadist movements in the Sahel.

Security, Jihad, Terrorism

In her interview, Dr. Minata Sarr Ndiaye identifies five priorities for Senegal. First, she emphasizes the importance for the State to place humans at the center of its actions, by serving citizens and responding to their needs. Second, she advocates for better integration of Senegal into the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain, by strengthening research and developing infrastructure for the local production of big data. Third, she calls for the industrialization of digital public services, by making all services accessible online and entering into public-private partnerships to enhance the value of data while protecting fundamental rights. Fourth, she emphasizes the valorization of cultural knowledge through digital technology to promote Senegalese culture internationally. Finally, she recommends updating educational curricula, starting in elementary school, to adapt to the changes in today's world.

Governance, Education, Numérique, Intelligence artificielle

In this interview, Dr. Jean Charles Biagui, a lecturer and researcher at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, emphasizes the importance for Senegal to adopt a foreign policy resolutely focused on Africa. He argues that strengthening relations with other African countries would promote regional integration and stimulate economic development. Senegal must leverage its strategic position in West Africa and contribute more to continental dynamics. Dr. Biagui calls for proactive diplomacy, based on economic and political cooperation, while emphasizing the benefits of African solidarity accumulated to address global challenges.

Development, Cooperation, Diplomacy

The article explores the evolution of popular protest movements in Senegal, a country marked by a tradition of social mobilizations. Since independence, major protests, such as those of May 1968, have involved young people and unions. The political changeover in 2000 aroused disappointed expectations, leading to movements such as the 2002 demonstrations in Kolda and those of 2008 linked to power cuts. The article highlights the "Y'en a marre" and "M23" movements of 2011, which mobilized young people to contest the controversial candidacy of Abdoulaye Wade for a third term. These spontaneous movements show a youth organized to influence political decisions.

Political Power, Governance, Youth, Crisis