Security Council Press Elements on G5 Sahel
Security Council Press Elements on G5 Sahel
pronounced by Mr Nicolas de Rivière, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
as President of the Security Council
5 June 2020
The members of the Security Council held a closed VTC on Peace and security in Africa, G5 Sahel, following an open VTC on the same topic with the participation of USG Lacroix and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritania, Mr Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
They commended the G5 Sahel joint force for its increased operational tempo and encouraged the continuation of these efforts. They also welcomed the Pau Summit of 13 January 2020, which proposed a “Coalition for the Sahel” and other initiatives led by ECOWAS, the AU and the EU.
They reaffirmed the importance of MINUSMA’s support to the G5 Sahel joint force and took note of the Secretary-General assessment on the matter.
They emphasized the importance of supporting regional countries in capacity building to achieve peace and security and combat terrorism in the region.
They condemned the continuation of terrorist attacks and intercommunal violence in the Sahel. They expressed their condolences to the victims’ families, as well as to the affected countries. They stressed the importance of eradicating root causes of instability and promoting sustainable development.
They took note of the measures taken and announced by several Sahel governments to deal with the allegations of human rights violations and encouraged their finalization.