Guterres visited Niger and called for more resources to combat terrorism in the Sahel
UN Photo/Eskinder DebeBE UN Secretary-General António Guterres( left) meets with Niger President Mohammed Bazum in Niger's capital, Niamey.
Secretary-General Guterres arrived in Niger today to continue his Ramadan tour for Muslims in three west African countries. He expressed concern at the continued increase in terrorist attacks in the Sahel region of Africa, in the capital, Niamey.
After a meeting with Niger's president, Mohamed Bazoum, he said the international community must recognize that terrorism "is not just a regional or African issue, but a problem that threatens the entire world."
The Sahel is a vast and barren semi-desert region of Africa, located south of the Sahara Desert and north of the Sudanese steppe, encompassing Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, northwestern Nigeria, and northern Cameroon.
In recent years, a number of terrorist organizations have emerged in the Sahel region, including the West African Unity and Jihad Movement, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Islamic Defenders and Murabithorn. At the same time, there is transnational organized crime in the region, including trafficking in arms and drugs, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings.
Peace, stability and prosperity
UN Photo/ Secretary-General António Guterres of Eskinder Debebe arrives in Niger Niamey to continue his trip to three West African countries.
In Niger on May 2, Guterres reiterated his call on all parties to provide more resources to address the issue. "Peace, stability and prosperity in Niger and the entire Sahel region remain an absolute priority for the United Nations," he noted.
Bazum endorsed Guterres' commitment to finding a solution to the problem of terrorism. He said the issue of terrorism "is dynamic, has changed and we need to adjust our response".
Meanwhile, former Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou accepted an invitation from the Chairman of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to lead a joint strategic assessment of the AFRICAN Union and the United Nations on security issues in the Sahel. The assessment, which will be conducted in consultation with the Joint Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States and the Group of Five, will focus on recommendations on how to strengthen the overall response of the international community to the security crisis in the Sahel.
Civilians bear the brunt of it
The United Nations says insecurity in Niger is caused by a multitude of different actors.
A range of armed extremist groups operate mainly in the Tiraberi, Tahua and Difa regions of the north-west, south and south-east of the country. In the southern Maradi region, armed groups from Nigeria regularly cross the border to launch attacks. Armed bandits in niger are also a major threat.
In 2021, the Global Terrorism Index put 588 deaths from terrorism in Niger, the highest number of terrorism-related deaths in the past decade. In the Tiraberg region, the death toll more than doubled between 2020 and 2021.
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations has pointed out, civilians often bear the brunt of violence. The data shows that almost 8 out of every 10 victims of attacks are civilians.
© FAO Photo / Giulio Napolitano Farmers in Niger are clearing their fields in preparation for the upcoming rainy season. This is part of FAO's Action Plan to Combat Desertification.
Multifaceted crisis
Insecurity is only part of what the Secretary-General has called an "extraordinary multidimensional crisis". The impact of the war in Ukraine, record malnutrition rates and food prices in Niger, combined with climate change and increased food insecurity, have contributed to unprecedented humanitarian needs.
The United Nations says the number of people suffering from severe food insecurity has more than doubled since 2020. It is estimated that in 2022, 15% of Niger's 25 million people will need humanitarian assistance.
In a country where 80 percent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, insecurity and climate change are preventing them from supporting themselves.
The United Nations Human Development Index 2019 ranks Niger's level of development at the bottom of 189 countries and regions.
Hope for the future
Despite the many challenges facing Niger, Guterres told the media in Niamey that hope remains and that the United Nations must live up to that hope and support niger's young people, especially women, in the opportunity to create a better future.
He said niger's positive momentum could contribute to a virtuous circle of change across the region.
Guterres will travel to Nigeria on Tuesday.
UNICEF/Frank Dejongh Young People of Niger.
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