New York: The security situation across the Sahel is deteriorating rapidly, threatening peace and security in West Africa's coastal States and beyond, delegates warned the Security Council today, condemning the deliberate targeting and exploitation of women and girls caught in the crossfire.
According to EMM, the Sahel is where the world's gravest concerns converge - terrorism, coups, environmental collapse, poverty, hunger, dwindling development financing, shrinking humanitarian access, and a declining UN presence on the ground - said Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). She highlighted that these crises land violently and disproportionately on the bodies and futures of women and girls.
Bahous noted that over 1 million girls in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are out of school due to terrorist threats. She emphasized that abduction is a tactic of terrorism in the Sahel, with the number of abducted women and girls in Burkina Faso alone rising by over 218 per cent last year. She urged governments and regional bodies to ensure women's full participation in transitional governments and peace efforts, advocating for at least 15 per cent of violent extremism prevention funding to be invested in gender equality.
Levinia Addae-Mensah, Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that women exhibit tremendous capacity to foster change. Her organization's work highlights women's resilience and leadership in peacebuilding, particularly in the Sahel. She called for a shift from protection-only to prosperity-based prevention, promoting women's economic empowerment.
Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), presented the latest report on the Office's activities. He cited an increase in terrorist activity across several countries and emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to counter these threats. The Alliance of Sahel States has established a joint defense force and a Criminal Court in Bamako to address war crimes and terrorism.
Delegates expressed concern over the human rights situation of women and girls, including abductions and sexual violence. They stressed the importance of women's participation in peace processes and the need for coordinated regional responses to dismantle terrorist networks. The Security Council's discussions highlighted the complex security landscape and the importance of a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism, emphasizing regional unity and international cooperation to address the challenges in the Sahel.