In Lomé, Foreign Minister Robert Dussey met with Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General. Despite the ceremonial nature of the meeting, three issues took center stage: peace, security, and development in West Africa.
The discussion took place against a backdrop in which security issues are taking on increasing importance on national agendas. Crises, regional realignments, and economic challenges are now compelling states to expand opportunities for dialogue and seek solutions that transcend national borders.
The Experience of Multilateral Diplomacy in Addressing Regional Challenges
Sahle-Work Zewde’s experience lends the meeting a special dimension. A former head of state of Ethiopia and now engaged in international missions on behalf of the United Nations, she brings a wealth of experience spanning diplomacy, governance, and multilateral cooperation.
Opposite her, Robert Dussey represents Togolese diplomacy, which aims to maintain dialogue with various actors across the continent. The meeting thus builds a bridge between two regions of Africa that are each, in their own way, grappling with challenges to stability and development. West Africa, in particular, continues to face security challenges that require increased coordination between states and their partners.
Preventive Diplomacy as a Tool for Addressing Security Crises
Furthermore, the choice to engage in dialogue is in itself a diplomatic signal. For Lomé, cooperation cannot be limited to times of crisis. It must also enable the anticipation of tensions, the sharing of experiences, and the development of collective responses.
Preventive diplomacy emerges here as one of the tools capable of preventing divisions and security crises from becoming irreversible. The discussions between Robert Dussey and Sahle-Work Zewde are part of this approach to consultation.
Continental Stability Is Inseparable from Economic Development
Security, however, is only part of the equation. The two leaders also addressed the issue of development, implicitly noting that the continent’s stability cannot be separated from its economic and social performance.
In many African countries, security challenges compound difficulties related to employment, infrastructure, governance, and opportunities for the population.
Africans and the Diaspora
For African diplomatic circles, sustainable development is therefore becoming as much an economic objective as a factor in stability. Through this type of dialogue, Togo intends to advocate for an approach based on cooperation and the search for concerted solutions.
Lomé, a Strategic Hub for Sustaining African Dialogue
The meeting between Robert Dussey and Sahle-Work Zewde did not result in a new agreement. Above all, it helped keep channels of discussion open on the continent’s major issues.
In an Africa undergoing profound transformation, dialogue itself is already a form of diplomatic action. By hosting a former leader who has become a key player in multilateralism, Togolese diplomacy reaffirms its guiding principle: prioritizing dialogue, strengthening cooperation, and seeking African solutions to African challenges.
In Lomé, the conversation may not have yielded all its conclusions. Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder of one reality: in the face of crises that transcend borders, no capital can go it alone in the long run.
https://www.journaldutogo.com/togo-robert-dussey-sahle-work-zewde-paix-securite