Germany has taken over the rotating one-year presidency of the Sahel Alliance — a key development body from the region — with Berlin saying that jobs, agriculture, and security will be its top priorities during the tenure. Germany’s Development Minister Svenja Schulze traveled to Mauritania earlier this week to formally take over the presidency of the Sahel Alliance from its predecessor Spain. “My priorities for the Sahel Alliance are jobs, agriculture, and social security in the region. At the same time, Germany has long been a significant player in stabilization and development efforts in the largely francophone Sahel. Berlin has already announced that when the German military ends its military mission in Mali in May 2024, it plans to expand economic aid and partnership programs in the wider Sahel region.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 13, 2023 09:50 UTC