The Saint-Louis region hosted a consultation workshop of the cross-border steering committee between Senegal and Mauritania on October 23 and 24. This meeting is part of the Community Resilience and Development Project (PRDC-VFS), an initiative supported by the World Bank and coordinated by the Ministry of Family and Solidarity. The objective is to consolidate cooperation between Senegal and Mauritania and transform the shared challenges of the Senegal River Valley (VFS) into real levers for sustainable development.

A concerted response to common challenges

The Senegal River Valley, a strategic border area, continues to face persistent socioeconomic and environmental challenges: poverty, climate vulnerability, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to essential services. The PRDC-VFS aims to reverse this trend by supporting cross-border cooperation, improving local infrastructure, and promoting social cohesion.

Supported by the national border management commissions of both countries, the Saint-Louis workshop brought together the main institutional and community stakeholders around priority issues: peace, security, free movement of people and goods, the fight against illicit trafficking and health cooperation in the face of risks such as Rift Valley fever.

Chairing the meeting, the Governor of Saint-Louis, Al Hassan Sall, welcomed this renewed dynamic of cooperation:

"Senegal and Mauritania are two states, but one people united by history, culture, and above all by the river we share. Through this steering committee and future local committees, we want to strengthen the relations of friendship and brotherhood between our two peoples," he said.

The governor also stressed the need for joint action in the health sector, particularly to harmonize strategies and pool resources in the face of cross-border health crises such as Rift Valley fever.

The PRDC, a project with regional impact

For his part, the PRDC coordinator, Mamadou Diédhiou, recalled that the program constitutes a regional initiative financed by the World Bank, implemented in the two countries:

"The PRDC aims to strengthen social cohesion and facilitate the implementation of development activities through the creation of coordination frameworks and local cross-border cooperation groups," he explained.

He specified that this process, initiated in Dakar last July, is now continuing at the territorial level to ensure more local ownership of actions. After Saint-Louis, a similar session will be held soon in Mauritania to consolidate the achievements and accelerate the implementation of the project on both banks of the river.

A dynamic that brings hope

Through this consultation framework, the PRDC-VFS is establishing itself as a key tool for resilience and sub-regional integration, placing local communities at the heart of development. By focusing on solidarity, good governance, and cross-border cooperation, Senegal and Mauritania intend to build a more resilient, more united, and more prosperous valley.