Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Gennady Kuzmin at UN Security Council briefing
Mr. President,
We are thankful for convening this briefing. We thank Mr. Voronkov and Ms. Coninsx for their detailed reports about the situation with countering ISIL.
Fundamental changes in Syria have justly become the centerpiece of the recent reports, alongside with the transformation of the modern international terrorism against the background of military defeat and significant weakening of ISIL’s positions. The Syrian army and the allied contingents, that are legally deployed in the country i.a. that of the Russian Federation made the game changing contribution to dismantling this terrorist entity.
We share the Secretary-General’s concerns regarding unstopping attempts of the ISIL to gain foothold in other regions. It is obvious that ISIL has plans to take deeper root in Afghanistan, create affiliated wing in South Asia, enhance presence in the Asian-Pacific region. ISIL maintains contact with islamists in North and West Africa; they view Europe as a “theatre” for terrorist attacks.
Our shared task is to deprive ISIL of a single opportunity to “raise up its head”, accumulate force, reorganize, find extra ideological recharge, human resources in various countries and among various groups of population. In this regard we should also keep close track of the attempts of some forces that used to breed present-day terrorist leaders, to reform ISIL and build another upgraded terrorist organization.
We warn against “flirting” with terrorists and their accomplices, against applying double standards, dividing terrorists into “bad”, “not too bad”, and even “good” ones.
Mr. President,
We would like to share our assessments of terrorist threat in the key regions.
As of now, the total number of ISIL terrorists and their accomplices in Syria stands at 3 thousand people. Besides, there are many other terrorist formations that are active in the SAR. "Jabhat al-Nusra" remains the most capable of them; it is especially active in the region of Idlib province. Over 1.5 thousand militants have returned from armed action zones to places of permanent residence or have arrived at other populated areas disguised as IDPs.
Though the military campaign against ISIL in Iraq has been terminated and the international coalition has proclaimed to reduce its size, there still remain prerequisites for further destabilization. Jihadists have switched over to the tactic of sabotage, as they now have their stakes on inciting a sunni-shia conflict in the country. At the present moment ISIL combat units in Iraq count up to 2 thousand militants from about 40 States, mostly those of the Middle East, Central and South-East Asia, as well as Russia and the CIS. The main hotbeds of ISIL's subversive activity are situated in the area of the Sunni Triangle, and in provinces Al-Taʾmīm, Diyala, and Kirkuk. The southeastern part of the country is also in danger, primarily shia provinces Babil, Wasit, Dhi Qar, Maysan, and Basra.
In Libya, ISIL enhances its activity, making use of the collapse of the state governance and the de facto fragmentation of the country. The group strengthens its positions in the vicinity of oil ports along the Mediterranean coast to the East of Sirte – the so called Oil Crescent, and also in the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Derna. The situation in the South is also aggravated by the influx of terrorists from Chad.
In Egypt, "Ansar Bait al-Maqdis" is active with the total of 1,500 militants. Terrorists are also active in the North-East and the South of the country. They carry out regular attacks on the enforcement units.
ISIL pays specific attention to developing a broad terrorist network in Sahara-Sahel where they build “home front bases”, carry out regular acts of terror and sabotage against national law enforcement bodies, UN peacekeepers and civil population. Apart from this, militants come in contact with local criminal bodies that control arms smuggle, drug trafficking and illegal migration. What also poses a threat is terrorist formations that claim to be cooperating with ISIL: “Islamic State in West Africa” and “Islamic State in the Greater Sahara” in the first place. In particular, “ISIL in West Africa” carries out terrorist activity at the junction of borders of Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. The group is sized 3.5 thousand people who mostly come from the local population. “ISIL in the Greater Sahara” counts approximately 700 people. Affiliated branch “ISIL in Somalia” – up to 900 people.
Mr. President,
ISIL militants take active steps to turn Afghanistan into a springboard that would let them penetrate other States of the region. The backbone of the terrorist entity counts no less than 4 thousand militants who are mostly based in provinces Kunar and Nangarhār. Besides, ISIL is active in northern and eastern regions of the Republic. “ISIL-Khorasan” can strengthen its positions because it is supported by the “Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan” and the “Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement”. They broadly recruit young people, employ field commanders from the local and regional terrorist formations, i.a. from Taliban and “Hizb ut-Tahrir”; they also accept militants from combat zones in the Middle East. The situation is the most dangerous in the areas close to the border of Afghanistan with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, where the number of ISIL members is about 1.3 thousand people. In addition, ISIL seeks to extend its presence in the North and East of the country at the cost of regions that have traditionally been controlled by Taliban.
Unfortunately, ISIL continues to receive funds from external sponsors who act under the guise of charity foundations, religious organizations, and other non-governmental bodies.
Mr. President,
When discussing the 7th and the 8th reports by the Secretary-General, the Russian delegation raised the issue of flagrant violations of arms embargo regarding ISIL. This problem is still pressing and relevant. The document under consideration does not address the issues of military-purpose products deliveries to terrorist organizations. We should not turn a blind eye to such obvious gaps in combatting international terrorism. It is vital to publish the information about channels of ISIL resource recharge and about efforts we make to disrupt them. Ways to solve this problem will be discussed in detail at the 2nd International Conference “Addressing Illegal Arms Trafficking in the Context of Combatting International Terrorism” to be held in Moscow on 5-6 September.
We speak about it on many occasions, however let me underscore once again that in order to fight international terrorism, global community needs to make collective efforts. We should properly use the conditions that have been developing since the terrorist “springboard” in the Middle East was eradicated. Our collective effort should undermine farther spread of terrorist threat, prevent escalation of tension in the region and solve the existing problems by political and diplomatic tools on the basis of international law and under the central coordinating role of the United Nations.
Thank you, Mr. President.
