UN General Assembly
2017

Dialogue and reconciliation are also indispensable instruments for lasting peace on the African continent. Italy has intensified and systematized just actions for the Sahel region, in particular for the Niger, Chad and Mali, which are working with immense difficulty to fight terrorist and criminal organizations and the illegal trafficking activities linked to them, starting with the heinous trafficking in persons. In that context, we are convinced that the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5) initiative is essential and we welcomed the decision of the G-5 Sahel countries to launch, with the support of the African Union, a joint force. Italy continues to assure maximum support for the Horn of Africa — the key to stability for the entire region and to resolving a complex crisis aggravated by climate change, which has led to a devastating drought. Initiatives in Somalia are moving in the right direction. Italy will continue to support them, given our ancient links to that country.