Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called for intensified regional and international efforts to resolve armed conflicts in the Sahel, warning that persistent insecurity continues to threaten lives, undermine state stability, and hinder progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking on the sidelines of the Oslo Forum—a leading global platform for conflict mediation and peace diplomacy—Amb. Tuggar stressed the importance of sustained dialogue, preventive diplomacy, and collaborative action in addressing some of the world’s most pressing security challenges.
He noted that platforms such as the Oslo Forum play a critical role in bringing together mediators, policymakers, and international stakeholders to focus attention on ongoing conflicts and develop practical pathways to lasting peace.
This year’s Oslo Forum brought together over 150 mediators, conflict parties, and experts to explore pathways out of today’s most complex crises. Hosted by Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, the annual peace mediation gathering is jointly organised by the Norwegian Government and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
The programme focused on conflicts and security challenges across the globe, including discussions on international humanitarian law during armed conflict, maritime security, and regional crises in the Middle East, West Africa, Latin America, and the Horn of Africa.
Other participants at this year’s forum included Kenyan President William Ruto, foreign ministers from the Sahel region, senior representatives from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, the United Kingdom’s National Security Adviser, and China’s Special Envoy for the Middle East. Representatives of the United Nations, regional organisations, and civil society groups also took part in the deliberations.
