The Centre for Analysis and Research on the Sahelo-Saharan Area (CARESS) is a unit of the Alioune Blondin BEYE Peacekeeping School (EMP-ABB) in Bamako, in charge of scientific research and university education. It also runs practical training courses. Its topics revolve around the triad of Peace, Development and Security.

Its mission is to deepen and enrich the culture of peace by providing frameworks for understanding the events that affect the country's stability, and to seek solutions drawing on experience gained from managing crises and conflicts in the region during various peacekeeping operations.

University education

CARESS awards a professional Master's degree in Peacekeeping over four semesters (three semesters of coursework and one semester of thesis research), in line with the Bachelor-Master-Doctorate system in force in Mali. It is complemented by an Executive Master's in “Post-Conflict State Reconstruction”, designed with Sciences Po Grenoble. The teaching teams come mainly from Mali and the sub-region, supplemented by international expertise.

Analysis and research

The Analysis and Research Division covers two areas: a range of modular training offers for students and academics, security force personnel and public- and private-sector professionals; and the promotion of scientific activities, including the EMP-ABB Scientific Journal and its calls for papers.

Documentation centre

CARESS has a documentation centre specialising in peacekeeping, security, geopolitics and transitional justice: DDR, gender and child protection, disaster management, law, mediation and leadership. Its library is open to all, because making these documents available helps promote a culture of peace.