LOME, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Lome, the capital of Togo, hosted a high-level meeting on Saturday marked by the launch of Togo's new 2026-2028 strategy for the Sahel, notably targeting Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which form the Confederation of Sahel States.

Championed by Faure Gnassingbe, President of the Council, the new strategy continues Togo's engagement in the Sahel and replaces the 2021 strategy that had guided the country's actions in the region over the past four years.

The new Sahel Strategy (2026-2028) aims to adapt Togo's engagement in the region to emerging realities, while strengthening its contribution to regional stability and cooperation between Sahel countries and those of the Gulf of Guinea.

The Lome meeting sought to enhance political dialogue between Togo and Sahel states, provide a platform for exchanges among governments as well as regional and international organizations, and contribute to dialogue promoting stability, security and regional integration.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Togolese government, governments of Sahel states, special envoys for the Sahel, and representatives of sub-regional, regional and international organizations, including the United Nations.

According to Abdoulaye Diop, Mali's minister of foreign affairs and International Cooperation, the new 2026-2028 strategy "once again demonstrates Togo's determination to adapt its engagement to new geopolitical and security realities in order to strengthen regional stability, as well as cooperation between Sahel states and those of the Gulf of Guinea in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment and world."

Togolese authorities noted that the terrorist threat persists in the Sahel and is gradually spreading toward the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea, stressing that the need to act further in the interest of regional stability remains a priority. ■