Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi has urged European countries and several humanitarian organizations to adopt a new approach towards irregular migration from Sahel countries to Europe, including the joining of forces to promote peace and security in the region of Sahel.

During the meeting at the end of last week with the European Union's Special Representative for the Sahel, Emanuela Del Re, Jerandi added that "this approach needs to go beyond the aspect of security in transit countries and focus on the principles of solidarity and fair development among affected countries."

Need to join forces for peace and security in Sahel

Jerandi said that all efforts must be made "to find global solutions to terrorism and to confront its deep-rooted causes, including poverty, marginalization and the lack of food security," according to the statement.

The EU's special representative for the Sahel said that consultations are ongoing with Tunisia to develop a common vision on irregular migration.

The meeting between Jerandi and Del Re followed a regional conference on cross-border cooperation between Libya and countries of the Sahel held in Tunis on November 22-23. It was organized by the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM), in collaboration with the EU's special representative for the Sahel, the regional advisory and coordination cell (RACC) and the program Ct-Just.

Tunisia's key role and the summit's conclusions

Del Re highlighted Tunisia's key role in boosting stability in Sahel, "considering the great trust it enjoys among various countries in the region."

Tunisia, a member of the Council for peace and security of the African Union (2022-2024), is able to contribute to regional efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the African continent, she added.

The initiative "One Desert" was launched to wrap up the two-day event in Tunis, as announced by Del Re on Facebook, adding that it was developed based on proposals made during the congress. "One Desert guarantees a strong follow-up to this extraordinary exercise," explained Del Re, referring to the cross-border cooperation between Libya and Sahel with all nations and the many relevant actors of the country and the region.

The conference ended with the signature of a joint statement in which representatives of Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania and Niger express their firm belief in "the importance of a regional approach to strengthen border management and security" and the "desire to see the EU and international community support common efforts to boost joint cross-border cooperation between Libya and the region of Sahel."

The statement ended by calling for the "creation of a committee including representatives of each country and partner, to ensure that decisions taken at this conference are followed up and implemented."