A letter from African intellectuals on the Sahel crisis

We call on the AU to enhance engagement in the Sahel and appoint a new High Representative for Mali.

Your Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission: We write to you as African citizens who have dedicated our lives to a vibrant, self-determining African continent and to the fight for the improvement of the welfare of African peoples all over the world. We are deeply concerned about the worsening security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel Region especially following the killing of President Idriss Deby of Chad. Now, more than ever, is the time for the African Union to step up its actions to help end the tragedy in the Sahel. The central Sahel, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, faces some of the greatest challenges to peace and development. These three Sahelian countries are some of the world’s poorest. The conditions people in the region face are aptly captured in a recent report by the People’s Coalition for the Sahel, The Sahel: What needs to Change.