Dear friends,
Prime Minister MOUSSA MARA, who was recently released as we joyfully announced on the GIAF WhatsApp group, has asked us to convey to all GIAF members his WARM THANKS for the support shown by the Group throughout his very trying year of detention.
To this day, he continues to receive numerous visits of appreciation and solidarity. Beyond the exchanges, these encounters are also opportunities for sharing, listening, andcommitment to the values that have always guided his work: service to the public good, solidarity, and Mali. This momentum continues, with humility and the same determination to serve.
We also haven’t forgotten Clément DEMBELE and Mohamed BAZOUM, as well as all those who have been arrested recently or have disappeared for political reasons…
Below are a few reflections from this summer and news from the Group as we approach the start of the new school year in September:
A – MALI-ALGERIA: WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF THE MALIAN OFFICIALS’ TRIP TO ALGERIA?
Would Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga’s official visit to Algiers on August 24, 2026, mark the end of the aggressive sovereignty stance he took against Algerian diplomacy, a year ago at the UN!?
Today’s forced reconciliation appears to have beenorchestrated by the Russian godfather, —tired of seeing his paramilitary forces decimated in Tinzaouatène, forced to pay a $17 million ransom to recover two hostages, and who knows he has neither the financial means nor the logistical capacity to pacify the Malian desert…
The current situation reflects an increasingly difficult balance of power for the junta , as in July the offensive by the FLA and GSIM put the Malian army and Africa Corps on the defensive. It is also facing growing regional pressure from neighboring countries, the African Union, and ECOWAS to reach an agreement with the armed groups.
By forcing the AES to align with Algiers, Russia is outsourcing the management of the crisis to a key regional player, Algeria, which, out of pure realpolitik, agrees to resume its historic role as mediator in the Sahel ( Niger and Burkina Faso are already aligned behind Algiers), knowing that a total collapse of the Malian state would turn its southern border into an uncontrollable jihadist sanctuary.
It was against this backdrop that Vladimir Putin called Assimi Goïta to provide him with direct guidance in support of a peaceful solution to the Azawad issue; however, there remain points of tension that hinder this regional cooperation: What about the 2015 Algiers Agreements, the presence of armed groups, the Western Sahara issue, and the exile of Imam Dicko!?
On the eve of the trip by the President and Malian officials to Algiers, we are moving from an open rift to a pragmatic détente: however, although Mali has strongly needs a ceasefire and a channel to communicate with the armed groups, and although Algeria is the only country the Tuaregs still listen to and which wants to regain its role as a regional mediator, trust remains fragile…
The real test will be: the return of the ambassadors, the resumption of flights, the resumption of political dialogue on northern Mali, the return of Imam Dicko…
B – DRC AND KIVU—FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COTONOU CONCLUSIONS
What if the GIAf had something to say about the particularly complex issue of eastern DRC? What if the ideas contained in the resolution from our Cotonou conference—particularly those regarding sovereignty, regional integration, the importance of the local economy, and locally generated value added from natural resources—could contribute to a somewhat disruptive approach that might lead to a positive outcome…
Views by Joël BERTRAND and John-Mary KAUZYA. Learn more
C – LIFE OF THE GIAF GROUP
– Abdoulaye BIO-TCHANE, a founding member of the GIAF, after serving for a decade as Benin’s Minister of State for Planning and Government Coordination, was offered and accepted the PRESIDENCY of the ECONOMIC and SOCIAL COUNCIL of BENIN,& under the new chairmanship of Romuald WAGDANI.
It is a source of joy and pride for all of us, and we extend our warmest congratulations to him! Given the excellence of his track record—and his energy—we have no doubt that he will succeed in the goal he has set for the CES : “ To become a true forum for dialogue and proposals in the service of Benin .”& This is a very important issue for the country and beyond…
– Alastaire ALINSATO , who joined the GIAF this year, served as the brilliant Chief of Staff to Minister of State Abdoulaye BIO-TCHANE while pursuing an academic career that recently culminated in the title of Full Professor of Economics at the Universities of Benin .
He has just been appointed CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE in the new government and we congratulate him!
Alastaire is about to publish A NEW SOCIO-ECONOMIC BOOK based on his experience in public office and a collaborative project with his students. This original topic that links African microeconomics and macroeconomics seems very interesting at first glance:
He hopes to PUBLISH this book with some visibility before the end of the year. Currently living in Benin, he is looking for a publisher in France and would like to have the support of the group and, if possible, of some of its members or supporters who could guide him and help promote the book for a quick release in France… A big thank you in advance to anyone who can lend a hand (email: salinsato@gouv.bj, WhatsApp +229 97 87 17 00)
–Paul DERREUMAUXasks the question following question regarding the sub-Saharan banks in the WAEMU zone, which are following the same trend as in previous years and could even exceed the record figures from 2025.. :
– Kako NUBUPKO will participate on September 7, 8, and 9 in a major forum organized in Cotonou by the “ Caisses de Dépôts et Consignations ” on the topic:
“From Resources to Impact: Community Development Corporations as Catalysts for Development”
150 participants are expected: executives from CDC member organizations of the CDC Forum, technical and financial partners … Given the dynamism of Maryse LOKOSSOU, Managing Director of CDC Benin and President of the Forum, the event will be interesting, and Kako’s contribution will be significant, as will the insights he can bring back to us and the contacts made on this occasion.
D– GIAF-EY CONFERENCE PROJECT
Project Overview Conference Pitch: Learn More
Thank you for the suggestions and contributions we have already received from Anthony THIA-LABBI, Jean-Philippe ATSE, Christophe PASQUIER, Pierre JACQUEMOT, and Mamadou Sinsy COULIBALY, as well as those that will continue to come in…
The format and guest list should be finalized shortly with Moez AJMI of EY in early September. Given the deadlines and the fact that this is the first time this event is being held, it could be a full day or a half-day …
We had a successful experience with this short-format event on the topic “How to Accelerate African Regional Integration Through Value Chains and Regional Champions” at Pascal Agboyibor’s office on the Champs-Élysées (an afternoon event featuring two sessions, each with four panelists and a moderator, followed by a cocktail reception):
See www.initiative-afrique.org
In closing, and although many of us have already discussed this on the GIAF WhatsApp group, I cannot end without mentioning the passing this week of our dear friend Franck Hermann EKRA, which has left us all deeply mourning.
Touching tributes have been paid to him and continue to pour in, expressing the sadness felt at the loss of “a cheerful, intelligent, thoughtful, and sincere friend,” whose “good nature, zest for life, elegance, and cultural sophistication…” we will no longer see; “ As a lover of art and culture, this is a great loss for Côte d’Ivoire, where he demonstrated a rare and profound sensitivity to the literary and artistic world, and which today bids farewell to its most eminent art critic ” …To honor his memory, here is a short excerpt found online: https://youtu.be/C2a5eDfgXp0
We offer our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family, his children—who are still so young—his many friends, and the entire GIAF community.