Security situation in Sahel has deteriorated: UN envoy

In the past six months, more than 10,000 schools in the Sahel had to close, leaving millions of children unable to acquire the necessary skills to build their lives and their country, said Giovanie Biha, deputy special representative and officer of the Secretary-General general of the UN. responsible for the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) on Tuesday.

Nearly 7,000 health centers were forced to close due to the activities of armed groups, violent extremists and criminal networks, she told the Security Council in a briefing as quoted in the Xinhua news agency report.

“These non-state armed groups fight among themselves for supremacy and control over resources, pushing states to the margins and causing untold misery for millions of people who have had to leave their communities to seek safety,” she said.

Indeed, the central Sahel continues to face multidimensional challenges, unprecedented levels of security and humanitarian challenges, socio-political instability exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, and food insecurity exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, UNOWAS supports the independent High Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel headed by former Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou to find more innovative solutions and generate national, regional and international commitment to change in the Sahel, added Biha to it.

A holistic approach is necessary and the creation of the collaborative strength of the initiative is an important development in this regard, she said.

Despite the many challenges faced by the countries of the region, especially the Sahel, the region remains a country of enormous opportunity. The UN’s integrated strategy for the Sahel has exploited these opportunities through its three pillars: building resilience, promoting good governance and strengthening peace and security, Biha added.

“In line with our mandate, we will continue to work with our regional and international partners for the consolidation of peace, security and democracy in West Africa and the Sahel.”

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