HIGHLIGHT

Pencum WARC / WARC Forum: La Nouvelle Carte du Monde et l’Afrique (The New World Map and Africa).

This panel will stand out as one of the most brilliant and insightful debates held at the West African Research Center (WARC) over the last years. The panelists made markedly profound analysises and observations at current developments in the world and the need to review the role and place of the African continent in world affairs.

Introducing the discussions, Law Professor Charles Moumouni at Universite Laval, Canada, stated: « the place of Africa in the new global geopolitical map is an important theme. The world is moving and changing.The old alliances are changing too. A geopolitical mutation is under way both in the West and in Asia. New countries are emerging and trying to seek and find their own spots under the sun. As you can see, the whole world visits Africa, everybody wishes to make friends with Africa as witnessed by the flurry of summit meetings taking place all over. And what about Africa? What is the place of Africa in this ever changing geopolitics,…. »

According to the panelists, the old world map does not give credit to the geographical but also the historical centrality of the African Continent. According to General Cisse, peace is the key and the various conflicts flaring up on the continent should be contained based on the Africans’ capacity to act and work as one and not necessarily wait for an external helping hand.

For Doctor C.T.Gadio, former senegalese minister of foreign affairs and M. Doudou Sarr, former senegalese minister for african integration, now is the time for african countries to strongly work for the unity and the integration of the continent to be able to challenge a world order which not to the advantage of the African nations.

Dr Hawa Ba of Osiwa insisted on issues relating to the largely very young african populations and also the need to take advantage of the new information technologies for the advancement of the old continent.

The discussions with the audience were extremely vibrant and seminal and the moderator, Professor Pape Demba Sy, had to reluctantly close (very late) the session attended by 45 people.