Statement by Saša Jurečko, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia, at the briefing on Peace consolidation in West Africa

Thank you Madam President.

I would like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Leonardo Simão for his additional briefing and Ms. Levinia Addae-Mensah for her contribution. We believe it is essential for the Security Council to receive regular updates on the developments in the West Africa and Sahel.

We continue to follow the security and humanitarian situation in the region with deep concern. As the Central Sahel grapples with complex challenges, a volatile security environment, lagging democratic transition and political instability, displaced families in the Liptako Gourma Region and the Lake Chad Basin live in constant fear.

Violence, driven by terrorist groups, intercommunal conflicts, and political fragility, forces communities to endure unimaginable suffering. Entire segments of society are left stranded, completely out of reach of any humanitarian assistance. Growing food insecurity threatens to leave children at risk of malnutrition, while the closure of schools disrupts their education. Communities are repeatedly displaced, often more than once.

We regret that Sahel time and again finds itself at the top of the lists of the world’s most neglected crises. The international community must remain engaged with the region and support its security, resilience and development efforts, while constructively engaging also on the importance of timely democratic transitions.

On top of the security crisis, the region is being devastated by climate change. When the Informal Expert Group on Climate, Peace, and Security recently visited the Lake Chad Basin, the group witnessed first-hand the destructive consequences of the recent extreme flooding, which has affected more than 3.7 million people across West Africa. Entire towns have been submerged, crops have been destroyed, and critical infrastructure washed away.

Erratic weather patterns, coupled with increasing uncertainty over access to water, are fuelling tensions between herder and farmer communities. Crops failures, combined with the local grievances and ongoing instability create a fertile ground for recruitment by extremist armed groups.

In light of these challenges, we echo the call of the Secretary-General for countries in the region and ECOWAS to develop conflict-sensitive climate adaptation plans as part of comprehensive peacebuilding strategies.

Effective and innovative water management solutions, along with transboundary agreements, can play an essential role in securing durable solutions and long-term stability, as demonstrated by the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal in their shared aquifer basin.

Finally, the challenges facing West Africa and the Sahel do not respect borders. Insecurity in one country often spills over into neighbouring nations. What happens in one part of the region affects the region as a whole. Therefore, we urge the countries of West Africa and Sahel to build trust and to seek solutions together.

Slovenia supports regional dialogue between ECOWAS and the members of the Alliance of Sahel States, as well as confidence-building measures to forge a joint path forward. We welcome further steps towards this end taken by the ECOWAS leaders at the recent 66th ECOWAS Summit. Strained relations among countries must not hinder collaboration, especially when it comes to addressing threats to international peace and security, preventing terrorism and exchanging valuable intelligence to tackle transnational organized crime.

In this context, international solidarity is vital. But equally so is local ownership – ensuring that local communities, traditional leaders, civil society, women and youth are at the heart of the solutions.

To conclude, Slovenia welcomes the work of the Special Representative Simão, especially his good offices and efforts to create an environment of transparency and trust where parties can feel secure in seeing good neighborly relationships as an opportunity, rather than a threat.

Thank you.

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