SIPRI and its partner organization CONASCIPAL (National Coalition of Civil Society for Peace and the Fight Against the Proliferation of Light Weapons) held the third National Forum of Civil Society for Peace and Security in Mali. The results of their security perception mapping study – now covering the whole of Mali – were discussed in Bamako in the presence of civil society leaders from across different regions of the country, government representatives, foreign embassies and international organizations active in Mali. Former Prime Minister, Mrs. Cissé Mariam Kaidama Sidibé, and Swedish Ambassador to Mali, Mrs. Eva Emnéus, co-chaired this third National Forum.
In a survey-driven bottom-up approach, civil society actors from the 10 regions in Mali shared their perceptions on the most pressing security issues as well as the role of the security actors in Mali. Discussions centered around the perceptions of insecurity as being strongly linked to developmental and economic issues such as unemployment, poverty and access to basic services. Regional and gender-related differences are also important factors in the way that many perceive their security.
White Book for Peace and Security
As part of the May activities in Bamako, SIPRI and CONASCIPAL also monitored the progress of finalizing the first Civil Society White Book for Peace and Security on challenges for the Malian population.
The White Book will present policy options and concrete recommendations for long-standing stability in the country ahead of the elections in Mali later this summer.
The Committee that are compiling the White Book consists of representatives from five major national civil society organisations, five research centres on peace and security, three former Malian prime ministers, and one representative from the media. This broad-ranging membership ensures that it is inclusive and representative of the diverse variety of views within Malian civil society. The White Book Committee will also benefit from the expertise of the individuals and organisations participating in the preparation of this document.
About the project
The project, Building a lasting peace in Mali: contributions of civil society to security policies for the population (Construire une paix durable au Mali: contributions de la société civile aux politiques de sécurité des populations), collaborates with local stakeholders and civil society organizations in 35 Malian municipalities to monitor and document the security situation, its perceived causes and suggestions for policy action. The project will disseminate its findings through short video films and interviews shared on social media and a White Book to inform national and international policy-makers on challenges, local perspectives and options to address insecurity and other related issues in Mali.
Follow the project’s activities on Twitter with the hashtags #MaliPaix and #Mali4Peace or on Facebook via SIPRI's Facebook page or CONASCIPAL's Facebook page.