CILSS by HEM Choguel Kokala MAIGA, Prime Minister of Mali

The launch of activities to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of CILSS in Bamako was conducted by His Excellency Choguel Kokala Maiga, the Prime Minister of Mali

The launch ceremony for CILSS’s fiftieth anniversary took place on Tuesday March 28, 2023 in Bamako, Mali, under the patronage of His Excellency Choguel Kokala MAIGA, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali.

In his welcome address, CILSS Executive Secretary Dr Abdoulaye Mohamadou expressed his deep gratitude to HE the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali for his strong commitment to CILSS and his unfailing support for the Sahelian and West African rural world.

He also thanked the guests for attending the ceremony, before dwelling on the history of the institution’s creation and some of the major achievements in its 50 years of existence.
CILSS, one of the first post-independence inter-governmental organizations, was created to provide the Sahel region with a scientific and technical structure. It was born of the vision of 7 Sahelian heads of state who met on September 12, 1973 in Ouagadougou to assess the effects of the drought that was affecting the region.
These founding fathers recognized the challenge of climate change very early on, long before the subject was at the heart of the international agenda.

The CILSS, despite various challenges, currently comprises 13 member states and has remained dedicated since its establishment to addressing food and nutritional security, combatting the impacts of desertification and climate change, and promoting ecological balance and sustainable development in the Sahel and West Africa
« Since its creation, CILSS has been involved in all the battles for food security and the fight against the effects of climate change, » he asserted.
Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the Ambassador for the Fiftieth Anniversary of CILSS, expressed his deep satisfaction and gratitude for being selected as the Ambassador for this significant milestone. He emphasized the privilege of participating in the events commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of this esteemed institution, which brings a legitimate sense of pride to the Sahel, West Africa, and the global community as a whole.
The founding fathers were right to make CILSS the solution, not just for the Sahel, but for the whole of West Africa », he says. He added that « food and development challenges can only be effectively addressed through regional integration », in the conviction that CILSS’s already recognized expertise will continue to be deployed on a regional and continental scale for the well-being of populations.

In his opening speech, Prime Minister Choguel Kokala Maiga, on behalf of His Excellency Colonel Assimi GOITA, the President of the Transition and Head of State, warmly welcomed the attendees to Mali. He then discussed the origins of CILSS and shared his personal experience of the severe droughts that affected the Sahel region in the 1970s
CILSS’s vocation is to unite its member states around the ideals of its founding fathers, and its fiftieth anniversary deserves to be celebrated, as it is a golden age rich in experience to be shared with the Sahel and Africa », he asserted

The Prime Minister urged CILSS member states and partners to support this exceptional institution in the spirit of solidarity in which it was created. so that it can continue to work towards resilience to food insecurity and the effects of climate change for the populations of the Sahel and West Africa. He concluded by wishing every success to the activities commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of CILSS in all its member states