AFRICA’S crisis-torn Sahel region needs support from the international community “now more than ever,” the head of UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said.

Lacroix told the Security Council in a briefing on the G5-Sahel Joint Force, the regional body designed to improve security and development in the region.

The G-5 is comprised of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad, and Lacroix said the counter-terrorism initiative had seen “remarkable progress” but warned it faced critical shortages.

The peacekeeping operations head added that major equipment shortfalls, capability gaps, insufficient infrastructure and the lack of secure operational bases had continued to delay its full operationalisation.

He expressed his “deepest gratitude” for donors who contributed to the start-up phase of the Joint Force, adopted by the Security Council in June 2017.

He, however, said no matter how generous the contributions,  “almost 50 per cent of pledges generated have not been earmarked, let alone disbursed.”

He added that for the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), resources were strained “and the entity is facing funding gap of almost 30 million dollars to provide the support it is mandated to provide to the Joint Force.

“In the absence of funding, there is not much the Mission can do,” the peacekeeping chief said.

He echoed previous calls for changes to support made by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressing that ramping up support was vital to the survival of the Force, calling for measures that would ensure sustainable planning.

He said through a dedicated support office, funded through assessed contributions, the G5-Sahel Joint Force could thrive, freeing up MINUSMA to focus exclusively on mandate implementation.

Lacroix added that G-5 would only stand a chance if the people of the Sahel were confident in actions of their defence and security forces.

He cited the successful investigation into Mali’s Boulekessi killings in the early 2018, and commended the police deployed to the Joint Force.

“The Sahel region’s deep-rooted issues in governance and security must be addressed first, if any security initiatives are to be successful, and bigger more holistic strategies are needed to bring the underlying causes of instability to the forefront,” he noted.

Lacroix welcomed the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, and the G5 Sahel Priority Investment plan along with the Sahel Alliance partnership in Niger.

The peacekeeping chief also welcomed the Secretary-General’s call for creation of the Groupe de Soutien, which would facilitate the dialogue between key regional and international actors.

He said “it is our shared and collective responsibility to ensure that the Joint Force succeeds.

“I call on each and every one of us to do our part. The UN remains deeply committed to this important initiative.”

-NAN

BE

– Nov. 16, 2018 @ 09:30 GMT |