Countries in the Sahel region face increased armed attacks, UN says

Despite a deteriorating security situation and the reverberating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional troops deployed to combat terrorists in Africa’s Sahel region have scaled up the tempo of their operations in recent months.

CAPE TOWN, May 19 (ANA) – Countries in the Sahel region have seen an increase in attacks by rebel groups in recent years who often striking against security forces and civilians, according to a United Nations peacekeeping official.

Under-secretary-general for peace operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the fight against armed groups in the Sahel had intensified since late 2020.

His remarks were posted on the UN news website.

Lacroix lauded the joint force first deployed in 2017 by the group of five (G-5) Sahel countries, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, as a crucial part of the security response in the region.

“Despite a deteriorating security situation and the reverberating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional troops deployed to combat terrorists in Africa’s Sahel region have scaled up the tempo of their operations in recent months, efforts that must be matched by a spirit of solidarity among their global partners,” he said.

According to the UN, a single attack by gunmen in January left more than 100 people dead in a village in western Niger. In April, Chad’s President Idriss Déby was killed while fighting rebels in the north of the Sahel.

Regional troops deployed through the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, as well as personnel with the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the French-led Operation Barkhane, are struggling to stem the violence, Lacroix told the security council.

He said the joint force also faced major challenges in its operational and logistical capacities, such as transport and providing supplies to troops.

“Despite those challenges, the joint force and its partners have made some important strides against extremist groups in recent months,” he added.

“Faced with the situation in the Sahel, the international community must be motivated by a shared responsibility to act … in a spirit of solidarity with the populations of the region.”

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa