ECOWAS Commission and strategic partners have concluded consultations to advance youth, peace and security in Senegal
The series of regional consultations which began in Matam and continued in Tambacounda, and ended in Kédougou, to pave the way for the development and adoption of Senegal’s National Youth Action Plan (NAP).
In his remarks, the Governor of Tambacounda, Mr. Guedj Diouf, pledged his region’s support for the process, noting that youth living along border communities are both vulnerable to cross-border risks and central to finding sustainable solutions.
Similarly, the Governor of Kédougou, Ms. Miriama Traoré, highlighted the need for continuous sensitisation of young people on participatory governance and empowerment, stressing that the ECOWAS YPS initiative complements the national government’s efforts to engage youth as champions of peace and security.
Focal Points of the Sessions
The consultations featured breakout sessions facilitated by the Association pour la Promotion du Leadership des Jeunes Femmes et Filles (APELJFF), with the active support of Mr. Babacar Sall from the Ministry of Youth Development.
It identified several pressing challenges, including high youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities leading to irregular migration, inadequate access to quality education and vocational training, cross-border insecurity.
Others are early and forced marriages, limited access to reproductive health services, and socio-cultural norms that restrict youth participation and leadership.
Areas of Concerns
Similarly, concerns were raised on limited political inclusion, economic exclusion due to poor infrastructure and weak integration into agricultural value chains, exposure to recruitment by armed groups, frustration over limited job opportunities despite the presence of mining industries in Kédougou, as well as environmental degradation and land conflicts affecting farming and artisanal mining.
The youth were also sensitised on the potential of start-ups to support their enterprises and innovations.
The Senegalese YPS process is supported through a National Task Force (NTF) and a Steering Committee to oversee validation.
Youth representatives, organisations, students, persons with disabilities, and community service practitioners participated in the sessions.
ECOWAS Commission Next Port of Call
ECOWAS Commission will also accompany the YPS processes in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Togo.
This will be done through the support of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) through the ECOWAS Peace Fund, and technical backing from the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Malawi, The Gambia, Liberia, Cameroon and South Sudan have completed and adopted their YPS-NAPs:
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