Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD)

Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens

Member States

Founding members

Other members

Kenya (2005), Liberia (2004) and São Tomé and Principe (2005) and Cabo Verde (2009) did not sign the revised CEN–SAD Treaty in 2013 and are no longer members.

Headquarters

N’Djamena, Chad

Date of creation

4 February 1998

Objectives

The primary objective of the organisation is the establishment of a comprehensive economic union and elimination of all obstacles impeding the unity of its member states to promote economic, cultural, political, and social integration. The revised treaty emphasised two other areas of cooperation: regional security and sustainable development.

Timeline

1998 Creation of the Community of Sahel Saharan States
2000 CEN-SAD becomes a regional economic community (REC)
2019 The headquarters moves from Tripoli, Libya, to N’Djamena, Chad

Normative framework

1998 Treaty establishing CEN-SAD
2000 CEN-SAD Charter on security
2000 Signing of protocol on relations between the African Economic Community (AEC) and the RECs
2003 Adoption of Niamey Declaration on Conflict Prevention and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes
2004 Protocol on Prevention Mechanism, Management, and Resolution of Conflicts
2004 Convention on Cooperation on Security Issues
2009 Declaration to reinforce cooperation in the field of anti-terrorism and security – adopted in 2016
2013 Revision of the CEN-SAD Treaty to endorse the organisation’s restructuring and the revival of the Community

Activities

Political dialogue

Date Institutions Agreement
2001 UN General Assembly CEN-SAD gains observer status
2005 Liptako Gourma Authority Signature of Memorandum of Understanding between LGA and CENSAD

Governance and development

Areas Date Activities
Election mission observation 2018 Deployment of observation mission for the presidential election in Mali

Peace and security

Activity  Date Description
Multinational operation 2001-2002 Deployment in Central African Republic
Multinational operation 2013 Payment of a financial contribution (€800,000) from the CEN-SAD acting secretary general to the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA)
Prevention of violent extremism 2016 Proposition to create a regional counter-terrorism centre (based in Egypt) and draft protocol for future establishment and operation of the Permanent Peace and Security Council of CEN-SAD – Statement made by the ministers of defence.