In the heart of the Sahara, where the routes to Sudan and Libya cross, the Chadian city of Amdjarass has been transformed this week into an open-air celebration of desert culture. The Saharan celebration has included dance troupes, musicians, traditional storytellers, craftspeople, cooks and nomadic camel drivers from across the vast region. Niger, the guest of honour at the sixth Amdjarass International Festival of Saharan Cultures (FICSA), hailed the event as a way to foster peace in a region beset by conflict and climate change. “In a world rife with tensions, crises and misunderstandings, culture remains a space for encounter and dialogue, enabling us to understand and respect each other and build together,” Niger’s crafts and tourism minister Aghaichata Guichene Atta told the opening ceremony on Saturday.