The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, briefed, today, the United Nations Security Council on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the activities of UNOWAS. 

The COVID-19 pandemic which is severely impacting an already precarious security situation “is likely to exacerbate existing conflict drivers with implications for peace and stability in the region,” warned the Special Representative during his briefing to the UN Security Council.

Highlighting the deterioration of the security situation, the Special Representative said that “recent months have witnessed recurrent complex terrorist attacks against the civilian population and security forces.” He noted that in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, “attacks have been accompanied by forced recruitment of children and abductions while exacerbating the humanitarian consequences on the populations of the affected areas.” Mr. Ibn Chambas voiced Human rights groups’ concerns over alleged abuses by self-defense militias and by security and defense forces, as some communities have resorted to them for protection, and urged authorities to do their utmost to ensure respect of human rights principals...Read more