UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. peacekeeping chief warned Friday that the crisis in Africa’s Sahel region remains volatile, with insecurity and instability seriously undermining prospects for development and many lives lost every day as a result of terrorist attacks. “Children can no longer go to school, and primary health care remains inaccessible for many” while the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging. He was speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting on the G5 Sahel force set up by five African nations — Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania — in 2017 to fight the growing terrorist threat in the vast Sahel region. Lacroix reiterated U.N. support for the establishment of a logistical and operational support office for the G5 Sahel force financed by assessed contributions from the U.N.’s 193 member nations. “Our collective efforts in the Sahel must go beyond a military response … and address problems with governance,” Mills said.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 13, 2021 06:19 UTC