Armies in the Sahel continue to face setbacks against jihadist groups. Almost a week ago, 71 soldiers were killed in a large-scale terrorist attack on the Inates military camp in western Niger, on the border with Mali. Claimed by the Islamic State organization, this attack is the deadliest on record in the region.
In Mali, no less than 140 soldiers have died in recent months in a series of bloody assaults on military bases. As for Burkina Faso, it lost 24 soldiers in August in an attack on the Koutougou base, also near the Malian border.
Faced with all these attacks, the leaders of the Sahel countries ask the United Nations that the mandates of peace missions be strengthened and more offensive. Meeting Sunday at an extraordinary summit in Niamey, they also called for more mutual and international cooperation to stem the jihadist danger that strikes more and more violently their countries.
"The attacks constantly repeated by terrorist groups in our space remind us not only of the extreme gravity of the situation but also of the urgency of working more in synergy," said Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou. "To fight terrorism, we need not less allies but more allies," he said, referring to the controversy over the presence of foreign forces in the Sahel.
In an interview with France 24, Guinean Bintou Keita, UN Undersecretary for Africa, addresses all of these concerns. While recalling that the role of the United Nations is to pacify countries, the one which occupied high functions within various UN institutions affirms that the fight against terrorism is a long-term combat and must be carried by the national armies.
France 24: While the terrorist threat persists in the Sahel despite the presence of several military operations, do we need a more offensive involvement from the UN or its forces as demanded by the heads of state of the region?
Bintou Keita: The fight against terrorism is not at all part of the mandate of peacekeeping operations. The peacekeepers who are deployed within the framework of peace missions have the objective of reducing tensions and violence, then making it possible to open up spaces for political dialogue with all the parties, and finally to protect the civilian population.
The partners responsible for fighting terrorism are the national armies, operations such as Barkhane when we are in the context of Mali and the joint force of the G5 Sahel with regard to the Sahel.
Now, there is a link between the Mission for Peace Operations in Mali (Minusma) and support for the G5 Sahel. The Security Council has indeed asked Minusma, through a technical agreement, to provide logistical support to the G5 Sahel on the basis of requests which have been approved in advance. It is support, it is not the first line.
But the joint force of the G5 Sahel is still not operational. The heads of state of the region vainly ask that it be placed under chapter 7 of the United Nations charter to obtain funding and fight against terrorism. What is blocking at this level?
The UN secretary general is the highest voice in the United Nations, but decisions depend on the will of the member states of the Security Council. The question should be put to the Security Council.
Several diplomats and observers believe that peacekeeping missions, such as in Mali or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are no longer adapted to current conflicts. What do you say?
Peacekeeping operations today operate in new environments where the security situation is increasingly degraded with terrorist attacks. The already robust mandates of peacekeeping missions can be adapted, but they are independent of the fight against terrorism. I insist on that. Otherwise, we amalgamate. The primary role of peacekeeping operations is to support political negotiations and the implementation of peace agreements.
Can't the UN go to war on terrorism?
Exactly, to the extent that in order to deploy peacekeeping operations, the host country has to agree. I do not believe that when the missions are deployed, it is to wage war on the populations. It's very clear.
However, we are in the process of changing the posture of the battalions with which we work so that peacekeepers are more flexible. And so that they are more able to be deployed quickly. The territories in which they operate are immense. And logistically, it is absolutely not easy.
Instead of having static battalions, what we need compared to today's environments, these are contingents with rapid mobility allowing them to operate on desert terrain like in the Sahel or jungle like in the Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the Central African Republic, Mali and more recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, people are asking and demonstrating for the departure of UN forces. They no longer have the feeling of being sufficiently protected.
I understand these frustrations that are expressed. There is impatience due to the fact that we do not see results. But it is important to explain to the people - and this is the role of the media and of all of us - that the fight against terrorism takes time. Even developed countries that have the means are faced with terrorist attacks.
In the context of Africa, we must not only have a military response but also a response that goes in the direction of social and economic development. People must have access to basic social services. It is a set of interventions that must be taken into account. The military response is important, but it is not enough. This is also the reason why, in our role, the political dialogue which brings everyone on board is fundamental.
It is also necessary to explain to the populations the varied roles of the different actors who intervene in the Sahel in order to be able to curb the terrorist threat which affects both the national armies, the populations and also the peacekeepers.
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