Environmental peacemaking is guiding a new initiative in the border region of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The 18-month project will be implemented by the European Institute of Peace (EIP) and TrustWorks Global, with financial support from the Directorate of Defence of Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Promoting ‘the inclusion of land and natural resource issues in conflict prevention and resolution’, the approach seeks to address the failure of previous initiatives which were largely focused on military solutions and counter-terrorism. The increasing conflicts will be addressed at their core climate, environmental and natural resource drivers, with a focus on community-based solutions.
The region, called Liptako Gourma, has been experiencing a southward spread of violence from north Mali since 2015. Escalating violence and proliferation of armed groups has caused thousands of deaths, but vast investments by the international community have so far proved ineffective in reducing conflict. Applying the lens of environmental peacemaking is hoped to provide ‘more effective prevention and resolution of conflict’, inspiring new ways of operating. The approach is based on ‘protection, equitable sharing and sustainable management of land and natural resources’ as core components of sustainable peace and economic growth, which is increasingly threatened by climate change. François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of Luxembourg, hopes that the lessons from the project will impact the country’s foreign, security and defence policy.
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