West African Borders and Integration (WABI)

Contact : Mohamadou Abdoul, Enda Prospectives Dialogues Politiques, BP 7329, Senegal

Phone : + 221 823 53 47 / Fax : + 221 823 67 13

Web site : www.afriquefrontieres.org

West African regional integration should appear as a combining process of juridical harmonizing (through community treaties) and reinforced cooperation between public and private actors. Nowadays, States and integration organizations as WAEMU and ECOWAS recognize and share such an approach. It does not mean former efforts to be discussed rather it claims that regional integration can increase thanks to cross-border populations’ imagination, multilateral or bilateral states projects and cross-border decentralized cooperation. A number of initiatives and possible partnerships are already developed in a favorable context: regional approach through NEPAD, « regional blocks » building allowed by new EU/ACP agreements and decentralization. These elements should allow work on poverty reduction’s strategy and its regional level by reviving economy, physical planning and peace keeping. Regional integration is back in official planning as actions and discussions in terms of cross-border cooperation are reintroduced. This double process could help the convergence between political will and field proposals. This constitutes the main objective of WABI initiative. Thanks to a website and series of publications, it plans to promote information exchanges and experiences’ sharing among all actors.