BY
H.E. DR. MICHAEL IMRAN KANU
AMBASSADOR & PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Let me thank our esteemed briefers, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism, and the Executive Director of Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate ASG Ms. Natalia Gherman, for their invaluable insights on the evolving threats posed by ISIL (Da’esh) and associated individuals and groups. We acknowledge the important work by United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities in addressing these threats and attacks, their impact and the underlying conditions conducive for its entrenchment and spread.
Sierra Leone welcomes the 19th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security and, recalling the commitment of the Council in adopting Resolutions 1373, 1377 and 2253, affirming that a sustained, comprehensive approach with active participation and collaboration by States and organizations is essential to combatting the scourge of international terrorism.
Whilst sanction regimes continue to serve as an effective tool in the fight against terrorism, Sierra Leone notes further that the 1267, 1373, and 1540 Committees play crucial and complementary roles, and Sierra Leone reiterates its support to expedite the conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). We call for renewed commitment and innovative thinking to move the Working Group forward and deliver on our collective mandate to further develop CCIT’s legal framework.
Colleagues,
Terrorist organizations thrive in environments of social exclusion, inequality, and the relegation of human rights. These groups deliberately seek out deeply disillusioned, marginalized, and desperate people as fertile grounds to propagate their so-called ideologies. Environments with limited opportunities for education and economic empowerment, depriving a significant size of the population, like the youth, of a dignified life, are particularly susceptible to instability, with women and girls usually affected the most. It is an unfortunate reality that these socio-economic deficiencies are further exacerbated by the negative effects of climate change and natural disasters.
Over the past years, the global terrorist threat has evolved, with increased attacks by Da’esh, its affiliates, and its supporters. ISIS branches and affiliates have expanded their influence beyond Iraq and Syria, encompassing a wider population consisting mainly of youth, to now reaching across the globe to the Central Sahel and West Africa Region. This new epicenter of terrorism accounts for almost 50 percent of all deaths from terror acts globally. Whilst highlighting the dire security situation in the Central Sahel and West Africa Region, we wish to share the following reflections.
Firstly, addressing the root causes of terrorism is key to preventing further entrenchment and spread. Despite continuing to face leadership attrition and financial setbacks, Da’esh and its affiliates have retained their capacity to conduct terrorist attacks and project a threat beyond their areas of operations through cells established and facilitation networks including in northwest Nigeria through the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and support for Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Addressing the root causes of terrorism therefore will be critical to prevent the evident further entrenchment and spread.
Secondly, we share the concern of the Secretary-General the risk that the continued expansion of terrorist groups will result in an expanding area of instability across West Africa and the Sahel especially if Da’esh affiliates are allowed to enjoy greater operational, financial and logistical autonomy. The magnitude and complexity of the problem are alarming and require concerted action. In this regard, the launch of the “Abuja Process” which aims to develop a comprehensive African-led and owned strategy to address the growing threat of terrorism on the continent represents a positive development. A coordinated approach to this transnational threat cannot be overemphasized.
Thirdly, we note with grave concern from the report that “the situation in West Africa and the Sahel has not changed since the previous report” and that the Furqan “office’’ in the region has “grown in importance and capability”. Additionally, we have serious concerns regarding the impact of Da’esh operations on children in the Central Sahel region with a constant deterioration in the protection of civilians and frequent violations of human rights affecting people and property.
Recalling the Arria-formula meeting organized by Sierra Leone, and co-sponsored by the A3 Plus members Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique, on “Combating the Rise of Terrorism and Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel,”we reiterate our call for a scaled-up comprehensive response to not only tackle the scourge of terrorism but to also ameliorate threat multipliers such as growing food insecurity, climate change induced adversities, health and education concerns and the alarming mass forcible displacement of people in the region.
Colleagues,
Strengthening security and regulatory frameworks and accountability mechanisms for coordinated response at the national, regional and international levels is of paramount importance. In our experience, state institutions can be capacitated to effectively deter, investigate and prosecute terrorist activity. In Sierra Leone, through newly reformed laws on Anti-Money Laundering, Combating of Financing of Terrorism financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and Central Intelligence and Security Agency and cybersecurity strengthens, we have established a network of institutions to prevent and hold responsible actors, supporters and financiers of terrorist activity internally and across borders.
In addition to national efforts, regional and international cooperation is critical for addressing terrorism. Terrorist groups often exploit porous borders, weak border controls and security vulnerabilities, for cross-border illegally trafficking of weapons, drugs and people. Sierra Leone particularly welcomes efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and institutional building in the West African and Sahel region, including the High-Level African Counter Terrorism Meeting in Abuja with support from the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism in April 2024, which launched the ‘Abuja’ process for mobilizing resources.
We commend the work of the Office of Counter-Terrorism in providing technical assistance to member States and facilitating regional cooperation. We urge continued logistical, financial, technical and technological support for regional initiatives, particularly to implement the decisions in the Communique of the Sixty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held on 7th July 2024 to fully operationalise the multinational joint task forces of the Accra Initiative and Lake Chad Basin in response to rapidly evolving and sophisticated activities of terrorist groups and criminal organisations in West Africa and the Sahel.
Preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources is also crucial to successfully sustaining gains in counter terrorism. We note efforts of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and call for enhanced UN coordination with FATF in identifying and remedying weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks.
We call on all Member States to re-affirm their collective responsibility and commitment for zero tolerance of terrorism. It is crucial that all member States fulfill their obligations in international counter-terrorism instruments and conventions.
This collective responsibility must transcend political interests, and external influence must be leveraged in a positive and constructive manner. We must not countenance double standards and terrorists should not be seen through the lens of a specific religion, region, or ethnicity.
It is essential that the credibility of the multilateral system in addressing these threats is maintained and we improve and uphold the working methods of the Committees dealing with Sanctions and Counter-Terrorism, to achieve greater transparency and accountability in their work. Enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, transcending political or religious reasons. Proposals in this regard merit due examination before circulation so as not to erode our collective credibility.
Let me conclude, Colleagues, with a final thought on this year’s Summit of the Future, which provides an opportunity to reinvigorate multilateralism in critical areas, including threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Improving our global response to terrorism must play a central role in the New Agenda for Peace, uniting stakeholders from the security, humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding sectors to achieve a future without terrorism. As threats to international peace and security continue to evolve, the Security Council must evolve in its approach to ensure the collective security mandate to ensure prompt and effective action is fully realized.
I thank you
