Dear subscribers, We are delighted to be back with you for 2026, a year that promises to be full of content and shared moments, allowing you to experience the Alioune Blondin Bèye Peacekeeping School in Bamako (EMP-ABB) up close. Remember: last October, we launched a new section called "EMP-ABB Footprints," dedicated to showcasing the journeys of our alumni and the tangible impact of the skills and tools acquired within our institution. Today, we are pleased to introduce our second alumnus, from Senegal 🇸🇳, the land of Teranga (hospitality), who shares the following inspiring testimony: Message of gratitude to the EMP-ABB administration It is with profound gratitude and immense respect that I address the entire administration of the Alioune Blondin Bèye Peacekeeping School in Bamako (EMP-ABB). After obtaining my certificate in Peacebuilding (CONSPAIX 2-25) in July 2025Within your prestigious institution, I had the honor of being selected as one of ten mediators for the platform of former university delegates. This mission involved intervening in a conflict between the State of Senegal—through the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) and the Scholarship Directorate—and students from five major faculties at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), whose Master's 1 and Master's 2 scholarships had remained unpaid for thirteen months. The situation was particularly critical: the overlap of academic years, combined with the saturation of the 2024-2025 budget line, had created an atmosphere of extreme tension. The UCAD Academic Council had convened an emergency meeting, considering the intervention of law enforcement on campus. The strike, already marked by numerous injuries on both sides, threatened to lead to the closure of the university until the following year. The risk of a major crisis was imminent. It is thanks to the skills, tools, values, and spirit of dialogue acquired at EMP-ABB that we were able to conduct a responsible, rigorous, and peaceful mediation. This training enabled me to fully play my role: listening to each party, restoring trust, and contributing to building common ground. Thanks to this approach, an agreement was reached, averting a profound crisis for Senegalese higher education. I wish to express my gratitude to the school's leadership, headed by Colonel Souleymane Sangaré, as well as to the trainers, and also to all the technical, administrative, and financial staff, the IT teams, and the Training Department, whose professionalism contributes daily to making EMP-ABB an institution of excellence recognized continentally. Thank you for your commitment, your rigor, and your vision. Thank you for training women and men capable of bringing peace where it falters. Thank you for giving me the means to act effectively for my community and for my country. EMP Puissanci!!! Dakar, December 12, 2025 Signed: Abdoulaye Cisse
- 03 February
- 2026