The 1st meeting of the Ministers of Defense of the member countries of the Nouakchott Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation and the Operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in the Sahelo-Saharan region was held in Bamako, Mali, on 4 September 2015. The meeting, which was preceded by preparatory meetings of experts and Chiefs of Defense Staff, on 2 and 3 September 2015, respectively, are part of the follow-up on the Conclusions of the 3rd ministerial meeting of the countries of the region, held in Niamey, Niger, on 19 February 2014, and the Declaration of the 1st Summit of the Nouakchott Process, organized in the Mauritanian capital on 18 December 2014.