UNOWAS Magazine Together for Peace Quarterly Magazine of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel - N8 - JUNE 2019 Political rally during the February 2019 presidential election in Senegal. Photo: UNOWAS SCPIO UNOWAS Photo: election in Senegal. February 2019 presidential rally during the Political Peaceful elections in Senegal and Nigeria 1 www.unowas.unmissions.org facebook.com/UNOWAS flickr.com/UNOWAS twitter.com/UN_UNOWAS UNOWAS Magazine informs you about UNOWAS activities and efforts in consolidating peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel. UNOWAS Magazine is prepared and designed by the UNOWAS Office of Strategic Communications and Public Information. For more information about the Magazine and UNOWAS, visit our website: www.unowas.unmissions.org or write to: [email protected] 2 UNOWAS Magazine Together for Peace Quarterly Magazine of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel 3 SOMMAIRE THE NEW LOOK OF UNOWAS MAG EDITO The eighth issue of UNOWAS Magazine that P.06 « Peaceful elections » you are holding is different from the previous By Mohamed Ibn Chambas ones. Indeed, after more than two years of its launch, it seemed necessary to us to bring a FOCUS creative change to improve the content and the design. P.10 Presidential election in Nigeria We have the great pleasure to share with you UNOWAS’s preventive action, contribution to this new edition which is easier to access, peaceful elections in Nigeria more balance and more diverse in its content. It contains several interviews, rich in infor- P.12 “Holding regular elections is not democracy” mation, which cover different questions and Interview with Ms Ayisha Osori topics, the Focus section offers several angles of the main subject. The new edition also sug- P.14 Presidential election in Senegal gests “the Photo of the Mag” a choice of the • “A matter of taste!” editor to share an emotion, an information, or • “Which President for the Senegalese Family” ? to provoke reflection. • National observer, a civic commitment for peaceful elections While hoping that you will like this new edi- tion, we will continue to remain mobilized to P.22 “Technological solutions to increase the offer you a quality magazine that will inform quality of democracy” you about the work of UNOWAS and important Interview with Tidjani Togola issues in West Africa and the Sahel. HIGHLIGHTS P.24 UNOWAS and ECOWAS build women capacities for a better peacebuilding P.28 CNMC - A success in the resolution of boundary SUBSCRIPTION dispute To receive the UNOWAS online Magazine, P.30 UN Volunteerism, an inspiring source of creativity please send your request to: and energy to improve life conditions in West Africa [email protected] P.33 International Women Day - Innovation to achieve gender equality FOLLOW US ON INSIGHT unowas.unmissions.org P.26 BURKINA FASO - The response must be twitter.com/UN_UNOWAS multidimensional, multisectoral and re- facebook.com/UNOWAS gional Interview with Metsi Makhetha flickr.com/UNOWAS 4 PHOTO OF THE MAG SIMB GAINDÉ Photo: UNOWAS SCPIO We are Friday 22 February 2019, last day of the presidential election campaign in Senegal. A festive atmosphere reigns in the streets of Dakar. Animated cars decorated with the effigy of the different candidates circulate in the streets and political meetings are organized in strate- gic places of the city. In this photo, two young fake lions (Simb Gainde in Ouolof) dance on the rhythm of drums and music, for the purpose of adding to the ambiance of a political rally in Dakar. The tradition of the dance of the fake lions originated in old animist rites of bewitchment in Senegal. According to the legend, a hunter survived a lion attack. He then became strange, roaring like a lion, eating only raw meat, with hairs growing on his body. He had become the lion. To heal him, the healers then proceeded with rituals of “ bewitchment “. 5 EDITO « Paceful elections » wo major countries in West Af- of civil society organizations, such as Mohamed Ibn Chambas rica and the Sahel conducted the “Not Too Young to Run” campaign, Special Representative peaceful presidential elections, which aimed to reduce the age limit despite a postponement of the of the Secretary-Gener- for running for elections in Nigeria and al and Head of United Telection date in one and some incidents around the world, we are entitled to Nations Office for West in the other. These countries are Sene- Africa and the Sahel gal and Nigeria. expect that African youth will have an (UNOWAS) increasingly prominent role in the con- Major countries by their geostrategic duct of elections, and ultimately in the position, their economic and politi- consolidation of democracy. cal vitality, their history, but also and above all, by the determination of both Despite a security context marked by populations to achieve a better future through a responsible, free and peace- the persistent threat of Boko Haram, ful vote. the dialogue and peace initiatives held before the presidential elections in Ni- This quiet force, which also flows geria, for example, demonstrated the through other countries in the sub-re- determination of national and local gion, speaks volumes about political authorities and all actors to sensitize maturity, especially among young peo- ple, and about the engagement of all voters to ensure that the election takes This quiet social categories in electoral processes. place in peace and with respect for the other parties. force, which Other countries in the sub-region will hold presidential and legislative elec- In Senegal, the country of “teranga“, also flows tions by the end of this year and early “ calls for calm by national authorities, next year. They will undoubtedly mark political actors and civil society organ- through other an important step in the consolidation of democracy in Africa. They will also isations after some incidents observed countries provide an opportunity to initiate new during the election campaign, also social projects that are likely to meet showed the mobilization of all to en- in the sub- the expectations of the populations. sure a peaceful election. region, speaks But these expectations are so high As the sub-region prepares for anoth- that elections polarize tensions and er round of presidential elections, it is volumes produce, in some cases, violence. This shows the importance of everyone’s important to recall that each citizen, about political commitment to elections that respect each institution must play its full role in the laws and constitutions in force. This ensuring peaceful, free and democratic maturity also highlights the importance of the elections. role of all actors in maintaining social cohesion and peace. The elected candidates will be respon- sible for implementing their develop- Looking at the mobilization of youth during the presidential elections in Sen- ment programs. They will also have an egal and Nigeria, and their active partic- obligation to meet the expectations of ipation as voters, but also as members their citizens. 6 UNOWAS IN BRIEF Africa (UNOCA), François Fall, the Special Representative The UN and the EU of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for support Lake Chad West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS ), Mohammed Ibn Chambas and the European Union Special Representative Basin countries for the Sahel (EU), Angel Losada, undertook several high- level joint missions to Chad, from 14 to 16 March 2019, Cameroon, from 23 to 27 April 2019, and then Niger, from 27 to 30 April. In Chad, the Executive Director of the Conter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), Michèle Coninsx, took part in the mission. During their various missions, they were able to assess the security and humanitarian situation of the Lake Chad Basin countries, especially the response provided by local, national and international actors in the framework of the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Following the call made by Security Council Resolution stabilization, recovery and resilience of the Lake Chad 2349 (2017), the United Nations and the European Basin areas affected by Boko Haram. Mr. Fall, Ibn Union have decided to combine their efforts to support Chambas and Mr. Losada also met with people affected the countries of the region and the sub region as well by the violence, including in Bol, Lac Province and Diffa, as regional organizations to stem the effects of violence, the region most affected by Boko Haram activities in particularly committed by Boko Haram and the Islamic Niger. State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), whose negative impacts threaten peace and stability in the region. The United Nations / European Union delegation also reiterated its support to local authorities and actors to It is in this context that the Special Representative of promote development projects to improve the living the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Central conditions of the population. “Benin is the vitrine of democracy in West Africa and UNOWAS calls on Africa,” said the Special Representative of the Secre- dialogue in Benin tary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, during his visit from 18 to 20 March. This mission was part of the UN’s ongoing support to the countries of the subregion in their efforts to consolidate democracy and development. During his visit, Mr. Ibn Chambas met with the highest national authorities, -in cluding the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Patrice Talon, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Adrien Houngbedji, the President of the Constitutional Court Mr. Joseph Djogbenou, as well as the former Pres- idents of the Republic, Mr. Nicephore Dieudonné Soglo, and Mr. Thomas Boni Yayi. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/2KwdpPn 7 UNOWAS supports visited Côte d’Ivoire from 15 to 16 April. This visit, part of UNOWAS’s good offices missions in the subregion, peace and stability in aimed to continue consultations with the authorities and to exchange views with key stakeholders in Ivorian Côte d’Ivoire society on various issues.