Kuwait urges greater cooperation to stabilize Sahel region

NEW YORK, Nov 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwait called for concerted efforts by the international community and the Group of Five countries of Africa's Sahel region (G-5 Sahel) to address the shared security concerns.
Delivering Kuwait's statement to a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Sahel region on Wednesday, Counsellor Tareq Al-Banai appreciated the information provided to the Council by UN Assistant Secretary General for Africa Bintou Keita.
"These information shed light on the situation in the Sahel, specifically the challenges faced by this region, including the humanitarian situation with 12 million people in need of assistance and the security situation amid heightened terrorist activities," he pointed out.
Al-Banai highlighted the importance of the efforts of the G-5 Sahel Joint Force as well as regional cooperation in stabilizing the region.
"There is no doubt that the force plays a critical role in countering security related challenges," he said, renewing Kuwait commitment to the joint force.
"The State of Kuwait stands ready to consider the methods and tools at the disposal of the Council to buttress the efforts of the force and to provide financial stability over the long term.
"Kuwait awaits the 2020 action plan and hopes that there will be full success in the operations of the force especially given that the security situation continues to unravel in the region," Al-Banai pointed out.
He spoke highly of the efforts being made by the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in delivering the necessary support for the joint force as well as the efforts of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
He commended the Security Council decision to consider using all possible means to support the joint force in the administrative and financial areas in the long run.
Al-Banai also welcomed the plan recently declared by the new commander of the G-5 Sahel Joint Force Gen. Oumarou Namata, of Niger, to stabilize the region, particularly Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.
He wished Gen. Namata success in his mission, calling on all donors to meet honor their aid pledges in order to help the joint force realize its targets.
In an earlier address to the session, UN Assistant Secretary General for Africa Bintou Keita said, "Terrorism is a shared problem - a problem for all." She outlined the recent activities of, and challenges facing, the G-5 Sahel Joint Force tasked with combating terrorism and extremism across the region.
Describing a deteriorating situation and a threefold increase in security incidents in the last year, she recalled that 40 civilians and soldiers were recently killed in north east Burkina Faso and nearly 100 joint force troops lost their lives in a span of just 10 days.
However, she reported several successful counter terrorist operations and welcomed new expressions of solidarity from both the wider sub-region and abroad.
Amid deteriorated security situation, the Heads of States of the G-5 Sahel countries (Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania and Burkina Faso) decided to create the G-5 Joint Force in Bamako, capital of Mali, on February 7, 2017. (end) asf.gb