NEW YORK, 17 February, 2021, (TON): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for stable and predictable funding for peacekeeping in the Sahel.

In a pre-recorded video message for the G5 Sahel Summit held in N'Djamena, Chad, Guterres said that African peace support and counter-terrorism operations must receive a mandate by the UN Security Council and sustained financing.

The G5 Sahel, which groups Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, has a key role to play in addressing the dire security and humanitarian situation in the region. In this context, the G5 Sahel Joint Force must have stable and predictable funding, he said.

There are more than 2 million displaced persons and millions of others are facing acute food insecurity. This is all in the context of a major climate crisis. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, including economic and health challenges, and has pushed more than 6 million people into extreme poverty, he noted.

“Beyond the security response alone, development, the rule of law and good governance are the cornerstones of stability in the region. Governments must regain the confidence of their citizens, and we are determined to support all efforts towards that end,” he said.

“The multidimensional and interrelated nature of the many challenges makes it necessary to address the root causes of conflict,” he added.

In the Sahel, armed violence, food shortages, the weak presence or complete absence of public authorities and the economic crisis have led to more than a million people being displaced, while others have decided to join armed groups.