View source for Organization:Community of Sahel-Saharan States

{{Infobox Geopolitical organization
|name = Community of Sahel-Saharan States
|native_name = {{big|تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء}}<br/>''Communauté des Etats {{nowrap|Sahélo-Sahariens}}''<br/>''Comunidade dos Estados Sahelo-Saarianos''
|linking_name = the Community of Sahel-Saharan States
|symbol_type = Emblem
|image_symbol = 
|image_map = CEN-SAD.svg
|map_caption ={{legend|#763741|Founding members}}
{{legend|#A26972|Countries joining later}} 
|org_type = [[Organization:Trade bloc|Trade bloc]]
|membership = 29 member states
|admin_center_type = Headquarters
|admin_center = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Libya}} [[Place:Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli, Libya]]}}
|official_languages = {{hlist |[[Social:Arabic language|Arabic]] |[[Social:English language|English]] |[[Social:French language|French]] |[[Social:Portuguese language|Portuguese]]}}
|leader_title1 = {{nowrap|Secretary General}}
|leader_name1 = Ibrahim Sani Abani (acting)
|established_event1 = Agreement signed
|established_date1 = 4 February 1998
|official_website = http://www.uneca.org/oria/pages/cen-sad-community-sahel-saharan-states
}}

The '''Community of Sahel-Saharan States''' ('''CEN-SAD'''; [[Social:Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{big|تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء}}; [[Social:French language|French]]: ''Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens''; [[Social:Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''Comunidade dos Estados Sahelo-Saarianos'') aims to create a [[Finance:Free trade area|free trade area]] within Africa. There are questions with regard to whether its level of [[Finance:Economic integration|economic integration]] qualifies it under the enabling clause of the [[Finance:General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade|General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] (GATT).

== Establishment ==

CEN-SAD was established in February 1998 by six countries, but since then its membership has grown to 29. One of its main goals is to achieve economic unity through the implementation of the free movement of people and goods in order to make the area occupied by member states a [[Finance:Free trade area|free trade area]]. At the international level, CEN-SAD gained observer status at the UN General Assembly in 2001 and concluded association and cooperation accords with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and with UN specialized agencies and institutions such as UNDP, WHO, [[Organization:UNESCO|UNESCO]], FAO, and the Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel.

All CEN-SAD member countries are also participating in other African economic unions, that have the aim to create a common [[Finance:African Economic Community|African Economic Community]]. The envisioned Free Trade Area of CEN-SAD would be hard to practically implement, because it is overlapping with the envisioned [[Finance:Customs union|customs union]]s of the [[Organization:Economic Community of West African States|Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS), ECCAS and COMESA and other [[Organization:Trade bloc|trade bloc]]s more advanced in their integration.

== 2005 summit ==

At the summit of 1-2 June 2005 in [[Place:Ouagadougou|Ouagadougou]] (Burkina Faso), the heads of state decided to create a "high authority for water, agriculture and seeds" in order to allow member countries to develop their agriculture through better control of water resources and seed selection. On the other hand, the summit to decide to study the construction of a railway line connecting [[Place:Libya|Libya]], Chad, Niger, with ramps to Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, to facilitate exchanges and to open up the Cen-Sad space. Blaise Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso, succeeded Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure as current president of Cen-Sad.

== 2007 summit ==
The African leaders sought to reconcile differences between neighbours Chad and Sudan over the Darfur conflict and boost Somalia's embattled Transitional Federal Government at a regional summit in [[Place:Libya|Libya]] on June 3, 2007.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070603/wl_africa_afp/censadsummit;_ylt=A9G_RyW9HmNG7YMAMhhvaA8F</ref>

== 2008 summit ==

The 10th Summit of Heads of State of the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) met on June 28, 2008 in Cotonou on June 18. Its theme was Rural Development and Food Security in the CEN-SAD area. Beninese President Yayi Boni has been elected current President of CEN-SAD for a one-year term.<ref>Bénin : Yayi Boni élu président en exercice de la CEN-SAD, Pana, 18 juin 2008</ref>

== 2013 summit ==
In January 2013, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States will meet in [[Place:N'Djamena|N'Djamena]], Chad. A commentator said "Morocco will likely continue its steps to take command of the organization".<ref name="SADA Jan 3">{{cite web|last=Nickels|first=Benjamin P.|title=Morocco’s Engagement with the Sahel Community|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/01/03/morocco-s-engagement-with-sahel-community/ez1k|publisher=SADA|accessdate=3 January 2013|date=January 3, 2013}}</ref>

== CEN-SAD Games ==

Beginning in 2009, CEN-SAD member states will take part in planned periodic international sporting and cultural festivals, known as the ''Community of Sahel-Saharan States Games'' (''Jeux de la Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens'').<ref>[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=APA80138laprereginu0 La première édition des Jeux de la CEN-SAD en février 2009 au Niger].{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} APANEWS, 17 June 2008.</ref>  The first CEN-SAD Games were held in [[Place:Niamey|Niamey]], Niger from 4–14 February 2009. Thirteen nations competed in Under-20 sports (athletics, basketball, judo, football, handball, table tennis and traditional wrestling) and six fields of cultural competition (song, traditional creation and inspiration dancing, painting, sculpture and photography).  The second CEN-SAD Games was scheduled to take place in the Chadian capitol of N’Djamena in February 2011.<ref>[http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=88898  Maiden CEN-SAD Games ends in glory in Niamey. ]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} APA News. 2009-02-15.</ref>

== List of members ==
'''Founding members''' (1998)
* {{BFA}}
* {{CHA}}
* {{LBA}}
* {{MLI}}
* {{NIG}}
* {{SUD}}

{{columns
|colwidth=21em
|col1 =
'''Subsequent members'''
* 1999 {{CAF}}
* 1999 {{ERI}}
* 2000 {{DJI}}
* 2000 {{GAM}}
* 2000 {{SEN}}
* 2001 {{EGY}}
* 2001 {{MAR}}
* 2001 {{NGA}}
* 2001 {{SOM}}
* 2001 {{TUN}}
* 2002 {{BEN}}
* 2002 {{TOG}}
|col2 =
<br/>
* 2004 {{CIV}}
* 2004 {{GNB}}
* 2004 {{LBR}}
* 2005 {{GHA}}
* 2005 {{SLE}}
* 2007 {{COM}}<ref name="NewMember">{{cite web |title=CEN-SAD celebrates 13th anniversary |first= |last= |publisher=Panapress |date=4 February 2011 |url=http://www.panapress.com/CEN-SAD-celebrates-13th-anniversary---12-756752-29-lang2-index.html |accessdate=26 October 2012}}</ref>
* 2007 {{GIN}}<ref name="NewMember"/>
* 2008 {{KEN}}<ref name="NewMember"/>
* 2008 {{STP}}<ref name="NewMember"/>
* 2008 {{MRT}}<ref name="NewMember"/>
* 2009 {{CPV}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panapress.com/Cape-Verde-becomes-CEN-SAD-s-29th-member-country--12-526479-29-lang2-index.html|title=Cape Verde becomes CEN-SAD's 29th member country|website=www.panapress.com}}</ref>
}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110917064539/http://www.uneca.org/cen-sad/fr/index.htm CEN-SAD website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060731190126/http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/RECs/cen_sad.htm CEN-SAD] at the African Union website.


{{DEFAULTSORT:Community Of Sahel-Saharan States}}
[[Category:Trade blocs]]
[[Category:Organizations (Finance)]]
[[Category:Organizations|Finance]]

{{Sourceattribution|Community of Sahel-Saharan States|1}}