Ivory Coast has assumed a leading role in the Platform for Exchange and Coordination on the Management of Border Areas in West Africa (PECoGEF) following the renewal of the regional organization’s governance bodies in Cotonou on August 21–22, 2025.
Representatives from national border management authorities across West Africa—including Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo—attended the two-day meeting to formalize leadership appointments and chart the organization’s strategic direction.
Almost unanimously, the presidency of the Executive Board was entrusted to Francis Langumba Keili, National Security Coordinator of Sierra Leone, while the vice-presidency went to the border official from Mali.
Ivory coast’s Diakalidia Konaté, Executive Secretary of the National Border Commission, was elected Executive Secretary of the Executive Committee, supported by deputies from Ghana and Benin.
Expressing his gratitude, Mr. Keili emphasised the platform’s vital role in regional border cooperation.
“The success of the mission assigned to PECoGEF will depend on the active involvement of all member states,” he said, calling for collective mobilization to address shared challenges.
Mr. Konaté, meanwhile, underlined the strategic importance of PECoGEF in fostering regional integration and promoting peace at borders.
“We must act collectively to address insecurity, cross-border crime, humanitarian crises, and infrastructure deficits,” he said, pledging to place his mandate under the banner of efficiency, solidarity, and transforming borders into spaces of shared prosperity.
The meeting also included bilateral and multilateral working sessions to plan PECoGEF activities for 2025–2027. Participants recommended continuing the revision of the platform’s foundational texts to ensure alignment with current border governance challenges.
Member states were urged to allocate specific budgets for border cooperation in national finance laws and to facilitate access to regional and international funding for cross-border projects. Representatives from the African Union (AU) and GIZ/PFUA also participated in the discussions, providing technical and financial guidance.
The renewed leadership signals a strengthened commitment to coordinated border management and the pursuit of peace, security, and development across West Africa.
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