Address terrorism in West Africa, says Security Council

The UN Security Council has stressed the importance of addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the need for a holistic approach to address the causes of inter-communal violence in the region.

The representative of the United Kingdom, Council President for February, issued a presidential statement requesting the Secretary-General to explore the feasibility of a civilian joint project between the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and regional organisations, such as the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, with the aim of stemming and preventing inter-communal violence.

The Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the 2 January terrorist attacks in the villages of Tchoma Bangou and Zaroumadareye in Niger, also condemning the 28 November 2020 attacks against civilians in Nigeria’s Borno State and the 11 December 2020 abduction of more than 300 children in Katsina State.