Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov at a UNSC Briefing on UNOWAS
Mr. President,
We would like to 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 on the activities of the office under his helm over the past three months. We support the work of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) as part of the mandate entrusted to it. We’ve listened to the briefing by the UN Women and a representative of civil society.
Russia has consistently attached great significance to cooperation with West African countries. We are pleased to note that this year the political situation in the region is relatively calm. The new architecture for regional cooperation is gaining strength. The members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and ECOWAS are demonstrating their serious resolve to reaffirm their commitment to agreements reached earlier and their willingness to restore relations on a mutually beneficial basis. We welcome the development of cooperation between the two organizations as part of their “quiet diplomacy” approach, which was exemplified by the meeting of AES countries’ foreign ministers with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, which took place in Bamako on May 22. We hope that these examples will soon be followed by others. We believe that, if this momentum is maintained and if the parties continue to take into account each other's legitimate interests, one can fully expect that the lost trust will be restored, which is vitally needed today so that the countries of the region could counter shared terrorist threats together.
Nonetheless, the actions of fighters in the Sahara-Sahel region are something that continues to raise serious concerns. While assessing the security situation in the Sahara-Sahel region, one must bear in mind that the Governments of the countries of the subregion have inherited the brunt of past mistakes and the legacy of neo-colonial policies. Following the military aggression by the West against Libya, the region became a haven for myriad terrorist elements.
We are extremely disquieted by the fact that fighters have no scruples about recruiting children, they are using more sophisticated means of communication, and employ drones and other advanced military technology. Who exactly provides terrorist groups with these resources is something that yet needs to be determined, as does who is interested in armed confrontation with the sovereign states of the subregion. What stands out among the cases confirmed is the support for terrorism in Mali by Ukraine, whose officials do not even try to hide this. Thus, it seems quite logical that the AES States took the entirely justified decision to sever their relations with the Kiev regime.
Today, radicals are gradually drawing in their fold also the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, including Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo. There are more frequent incursions into northern Benin. The situation remains tense in the north-east of Nigeria in the Lake Chad basin because of ongoing terrorist attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa, and in Chad, whose authorities have to deal with not only terrorist threat but also with the influx of refugees from neighboring Sudan.
Mr. President,
To achieve long-term stability, the international community needs to provide collective support for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, as these countries have unwillingly become the vanguard in the fight against trans-African terrorist groups.
Attempts by foreign powers to interfere in the region's affairs are counterproductive. We would like to recall that only Africans themselves can decide what is useful and what is not in terms of combating terrorism or political and economic development. African authorities are guided by the opinion of their people and their needs, as they are directly accountable to them.
We note the Secretary-General timely including in his report the issue of the debt burden of the countries in the region – despite their sustained economic growth, these countries are unable to channel their own resources into addressing the root causes of the spread of terrorism in their countries. What remains of relevance in this regard is reforming international financial institutions, which would prioritize the vital interests and needs of developing countries, including the Sahel countries.
Mr. Simao, one more point on economy. We are grateful that, unlike the report, your statement has rightly emphasized how socio-economic challenges as a whole affect the ability of governments, and we do appreciate that you have not claimed that there is a direct link between climate and security. We note with regret that the report to the Council contains unacceptable terminology regarding climate-security nexus, which downplays the seriousness of terrorist threats and socio-economic challenges. Of course, no one is denying the environmental challenges, but we would like to underscore that the mission has no mandate to use such terminology. We would also like to point out to our Korean colleagues that it was hardly pertinent to mention the UNSC informal Expert Group on Climate and Security. This group does not express the collective opinion of the Council.
For our part, the Russian Federation will continue to make a constructive contribution to collective efforts aimed at stabilizing Sahara-Sahel and West Africa as a whole, and we will continue to provide support to the countries of the region bilaterally, including in improving the combat readiness of their armed forces and training their military personnel and law enforcement officers. In other words, we will provide support in all areas where these countries really need our urgent assistance to counter threats posed by terrorists.
Thank you.
