Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC Briefing on West Africa and the Sahel
Madam President,
We would like to thank Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), for his report on the current situation in the region and the activities of his office over the past six months. We support the UNOWAS work within the framework of its mandate. We have listened attentively to Ms. Levinia Addae-Mensah.
The reporting period was marked by active electoral processes at the national level. We note the intensive electoral campaigns in Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, on the whole they are running peacefully and in a relatively orderly manner. Constitutional reforms are under way in the Gambia, Togo and Sierra Leone. We are pleased with the productive work of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission on finalizing the demarcation of the State border, which has been a real challenge for the two countries over many years.
The situation in the region is characterized by the ongoing reconfiguration of cooperation among the countries therein as well as by the search for new ways of collaboration. The members of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) have decided to withdraw from the Alliance, upon the expiration of the period set by ECOWAS, and the Security Council must respect that choice. We understand the reasons that prompted Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to take such a step. We trust that the relevant transition process, which is to last until July next year, will be painless for all regional players and – which is of utmost importance – for the entire population of West Africa. In this regard, we are heartened to hear the news about agreements reached on the maintenance of a visa-free regime and free trade zone throughout the region.
We are also pleased at the establishment of new economic ties between certain countries in the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea. We hope that such examples will set the tone for the development of good-neighborly and mutually beneficial relations between the states in questions in the long term.
At the same time, the security situation remains marked by the increasing activity of numerous terrorist and criminal groups. All this is nothing but a heavy burden of the consequences entailed by the Western military aggression against Libya, and all the States of the region have to bear this burden until now. The situation remains particularly difficult in the Liptako-Gourma triangle, where we can see intense activities by the Al-Qaida-affiliated Support Group for Islam and Muslims and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Terrorists are carrying out regular attacks against both military and civilians.
The growing combat capabilities of the Islamic State in West Africa is something that is aggravating the security situation in the countries of the Lake Chad Basin. In northeastern Nigeria, the situation also remains tense due to the activity of the Boko Haram terrorist group, as well as in Chad, where the authorities have to cope with not only combating jihadists but also with hosting large numbers of refugees from neighboring Sudan, where a protracted armed confrontation is ongoing.
Long-term stabilization in the Sahara-Sahel region is only possible if the world community provides support for Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, who stand in the forefront of the fight against trans-African terrorist groups. We note successful operations they are conducting and close coordination of their efforts, including on mutual transfer of operational data and intelligence. As a result of such joint action, many heads of terrorist groups have been eliminated. Actions aimed at thwarting the transitional authorities in these countries are destructive. Such actions are destructive not only because they run counter to the principles of the UN Charter but also because they spell the most devastating consequences across the whole of Africa, including increasing terrorist threats. Only Africans authorities themselves are in position to decide what can help in combatting terrorism and boosting political and economic development in their countries, and what will be of no use at all. They are guided by their people’s aspirations and needs, as they are directly responsible to them.
As the majority of Western donors scale down their assistance to affected countries for political reasons, the States of the region – as we know for sure – are doing their utmost to assist local populations and displaced persons. Efforts to improve the humanitarian and socio-economic situation should go hand in hand with security measures. The people, and especially young people, should see prospects of having a normal life in their countries.
The blanket criticism of sovereign countries, including the criticism for shrinking the space for civil society and the media (which is not true), is something that is instigated from abroad and fueled by those states that are striving to preserve their postcolonial influence. You should understand that the foreign media in the region serve largely as instruments of disinformation. Just look at the recent publications by the British BBC and the French radio RFI, which are outrightly hostile towards the authorities of Niger and Mali. It is not surprising that after such publications the authorities of these countries decided to temporarily restrict the dissemination of publications by these media outlets.
Madam President,
Climate-security nexus agenda promoted by a number of delegations is something that we object to, nor do we support the efforts to advance this topic as an agenda item to be considered at the Security Council. We believe that it is specialized UN funds and agencies that are supposed to tackle issues related to adapting to climate change and mitigating the consequences thereof. The Security Council has its own mandate. But, unfortunately, the number of tasks the UNSC has to grapple with is constantly growing.
In conclusion, I would like to note that Russia will continue making a constructive contribution to collective efforts aimed at achieving stability in the Sahara-Sahel and West Africa as a whole, and we will continue providing support to the States of the subregion through bilateral channels. An example of our contribution to the security of the region is the agreement reached in September, 2024 between ROSCOSMOS and the ASS countries on the launch of a communications satellite and an Earth remote sensing satellite. The implementation of this project will significantly strengthen the capacities of the three countries in controlling the State border and monitoring emergency situations.
We will continue providing support to the States of the region in order to strengthen the combat potential of their national armed forces and train their military and law enforcement personnel. We intend to expand the scope of humanitarian assistance provided to the countries of the ASS.
Thank you.
