FREAO 2026: Abidjan lays the groundwork for hydrodiplomacy around 28 water basins

Ivorian Prime Minister Beugré Mambé opened the first West Africa Regional Water Forum (FREAO) in Abidjan, sponsored by President Alassane Ouattara. The three-day event aims to turn shared water management analysis into concrete actions, emphasizing that rivers like Senegal, Niger, and Volta cross multiple countries. The forum highlights that water is a matter of state, affecting security, sovereignty, and peace, and calls for political decisions to foster trust and cooperation among nations.