The United Nations says weapons looted during Libya’s 2011 conflict later surfaced in Nigeria and other Sahel countries, where some ended up in the hands of extremist groups.
The fallout from Libya’s 2011 uprising is apparently still being felt thousands of kilometres away including in Nigeria.
According to Naija News, the United Nations has revealed that weapons looted during and after the conflict that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi eventually found their way into Nigeria and other countries across the Sahel region.
Speaking at the UN Headquarters in New York, UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, warned that weapons stolen or diverted during conflicts often continue fuelling violence long after the fighting ends.
As the source reports, some of the weapons taken from Libya after Gaddafi’s fall later resurfaced in countries including Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso. Even more worrying, some were reportedly recovered from extremist groups operating in the region.
Nakamitsu stressed that the spread of illicit firearms is not just a security issue but also a threat to peacebuilding, development and human rights. She noted that weapons often remain in circulation, crossing borders and falling into the hands of criminal and terrorist networks years after wars officially end.
The warning comes amid ongoing concerns about arms trafficking across the Sahel, where insecurity continues to challenge governments and security agencies.
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