Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC Briefing on UNOWAS
Mr. President,
We thank Mr. Leonardo Simao, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, for his report on the current situation in the region and the activities of the office that he has helmed over the past three months. We support the work of UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) as part of the mandate entrusted to it. We’ve listened to the statement by Ms. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, who spoke in her capacity as a representative of civil society.
Russia attributes great significance to cooperation with the countries of West Africa. The recent period in the region has been very intensive in terms of the development of national political processes. A number of States have faced fierce internal confrontation, which was fraught with escalating violence. We hope that regional political elites will have the political will and wisdom to resolve existing differences in a peaceful manner and for the benefit of the people.
The new architecture for regional cooperation continues to evolve. The members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have taken the decision to withdraw from ECOWAS, and the Security Council must respect that choice. The reasons that prompted Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to take that step lie on the surface, namely this is their staunch desire to bolster their own sovereignty, as well as their focus on addressing security challenges and safeguarding the interests of their people through joint efforts. While relying solely on their own forces, they remain open to cooperation with countries that are committed to equitable, mutually respectful and mutually beneficial interaction.
We welcome the development of bilateral contacts between certain countries of ECOWAS and those of the AES as part of the quiet diplomacy approach. What is particularly important for the people of the region is the preservation of the visa-free travel and free trade throughout the region. We hope that the example of forging political contacts between certain countries of the two organizations will soon be followed by other countries as well. We believe that if the countries of the region reach agreement on shared goals, tasks, and development paths, it will be possible to revive trust-based cooperation.
While assessing the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region, we must also bear in mind that the transitional Governments of the three countries of the subregion have inherited the brunt of past mistakes and the ravages of neo-colonial policies. Following the military aggression by the West against Libya, the region became a haven for myriad terrorist elements. Subsequent efforts to restore stability have turned out to be a complete failure, and the reason for that is the Western States' own miscalculations, rather than the notorious “ingratitude” of the locals, as some Western leaders dress it up.
In this context, we find utterly cynical the attempts by certain countries to shift responsibility for current problems on local authorities, who unwillingly found themselves face-to-face with the most dangerous terrorist groups. Under these circumstances, the decisive steps taken by the countries of the Alliance are bearing fruit. Mali's armed forces are systematically eradicating fighter cells in the northern and central parts of the country. In Burkina Faso, the authorities have maintained control over 70% of their territory, which is significantly higher than in recent years. The government of Niger has managed to regroup forces and step up the efforts to deter terrorists in the Lake Chad basin. Joint military operations are gaining momentum, including in the Gao region. Joint air forces are being successfully applied.
At the same time, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), which are increasingly intertwining with separatist groups, including the Azawad Liberation Front, continue to mount frequent attacks targeting both military personnel and peaceful civilians.
One of the most horrific recent attacks was the one targeting a mosque in the village of Fonbita in south-western Niger on March 21, which happened at the height of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Council's press statement on this tragic incident, adopted upon the initiative of Russia, is a demonstration of international solidarity with the Government and people of Niger.
But in the long run, the countries of the region deserve far greater international support. After all, the success of the AES will benefit the states both in the Gulf of Guinea and in the Lake Chad Basin, which are already suffering the consequences of terrorist attacks and large refugee flows. Against that background, we deem immoral any attempts by Western colleagues to carry out a disinformation campaign geared towards downplaying the counterterrorism efforts undertaken by transitional authorities. There is also a need to directly talk about the unacceptability of financing or delivering assistance to terrorists by third countries, such as Ukraine.
Let us also note Washington’s investigations into the activities of USAID, which revealed shocking details that the “official development assistance to Mali” amounting to about $14 million was transferred through this structure to separatists in violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Regrettably, certain UN agencies were also involved in some dubious actions vis-a-vis the AES countries. Specifically, when referring to the GNIM (the group is included in the UN sanctions list), the UN representatives in Burkina Faso used the definition “non-state armed group”, while legal volunteer units of Burkina Faso were referred to as “rebels”.
Such deliberately inaccurate assessments can be characterized as disinformation and as an attempt to legitimize terrorist atrocities – we must strongly condemn them.
We expect the UN Secretariat to draw the necessary conclusions from the current situation, which imperils the authority of the United Nations and the effectiveness of its engagement with countries combatting terrorism. While assessing the existing threats, only verified information should be used; first and foremost, information from the countries of the region themselves rather than that provided by Western-funded NGOs.
Let us also bear in mind that only Africans themselves can decide what is beneficial and what is not in terms of counter-terrorism or their political and economic development. They are guided by the opinions and the needs of their people, as they are directly accountable to them.
For its part, Russia will continue to constructively contribute to collective efforts to achieve stability in the Sahara-Sahel region and West Africa as a whole, and will continue to provide assistance to the States of the subregion through bilateral channels.
We will continue to support the countries of the region in enhancing the combat capabilities of their national armed forces and training their military and law enforcement personnel. We intend to expand the volumes of humanitarian assistance provided to the countries of the Sahara-Sahel region.
Thank you.
