HIGHLIGHT:  Pencum WARC/WARC Forum: Situation de l’Etat Post-colonial: Exemples du Sahel et de la Corne de l’Afrique

With the resurgence of coups (Mali, Guinea Conakry, Sudan etc…) and sundry other unfavorable political developments in the Horn of the continent and in West Africa, Pencum WARC (the WARC Forum), on Wednesday, January 5^th at the West African Research Center, convened a high-level panel to make presentations on the situation of the post-colonial state in West Africa and the Horn of Africa. Prominent scholars, researchers and academics were gathered on the occasion: Professor Mamadou Diouf (History, Columbia University), Professor Babacar Fall Baker (History, University Cheikh Anta Diop), Dr Ebrima Sall (former CODESRIA Secretary General and currently Director of Trust Africa). The panel was chaired by Professor Mame Penda Ba (Sociology, University Gaston Berger) and other eminent resource persons were also called on to make contributions: Mathias Hounkpe and Papa Ibrahima Kane, both program managers at OSIWA.

The political, economic, social situations prevailing in the various west african countries and in the Horn of Africa were expertly reviewed and all contributors concluded to the need for a change of paradigms in governance and statesmanship. One of the major findings shared by all speakers is that africans have to devise other types of knowledge and practices because those inherited from the colonial era were not designed to contribute to the advancement of the african continent.

The panel gathered 71 people including those who attended virtually on YouTube.