Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has stated that it has become imperative to center intensified regional and international efforts to resolve armed conflicts in the Sahel, warning that persistent insecurity continues to threaten lives, undermine state stability, and impede progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Tuggar who is attending the Oslo Forum, a leading global platform for conflict mediation and peace diplomacy, Ambassador Tuggar emphasized in a press statement that the importance of sustained dialogue, preventive diplomacy, and collaborative action was needed in addressing some of the world’s most pressing security challenges.
He noted that forums such as the Oslo Forum play a vital role in bringing together mediators, policymakers, and international stakeholders to focus attention on ongoing conflicts and develop practical pathways towards lasting peace.
Around 150 mediators, parties to conflicts, and experts gathered at this year’s Oslo Forum to discuss pathways out of today’s conflicts. Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide is hosting the peace mediation gathering, which Norway organizes together with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. The programme at this year’s Oslo Forum covers wars and conflicts around the world, international humanitarian law in wartime, and maritime security. Dedicated sessions focused on, among other regions, the Middle East, West Africa, Latin America, and the Horn of Africa.
Participants at this year’s Oslo Forum included Kenyan President William Ruto, foreign ministers from the Sahel, a number of high-level representatives from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, the United Kingdom’s National Security Adviser, and China’s special envoy for the Middle East. Representatives from the United Nations, regional organizations, and civil society also attended.