Bridging the Maghreb-Sahel Divide in Policy and Research: Take-aways from the MECAM Policy Talk 2025
André Bank / Clara-Auguste Süß / Julius Dihstelhoff
Bridging the Maghreb-Sahel Divide in Policy and Research: Take-aways from the MECAM Policy Talk 2025
Blog Article | 2025
Abstract
As global attention increasingly turns to the interconnected realities of Africa’s northern and sub-Saharan regions, it becomes imperative to reflect critically on how we approach, define and delimit the Maghreb and the Sahel. Though often treated as distinct regional blocs in policymaking and academic research, the lived realities across these areas are deeply intertwined: historically, politically, socially, economically and environmentally. Against this backdrop, the MECAM Policy Talk 2025 brought together experts on and from the Maghreb as well as on and from Sub-Saharan Africa in Berlin for 2.5 days of intense deliberations. This blog article summarizes the main findings and presents central policy implications.
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