The United Nations says some weapons looted during the Libyan conflict in 2011 ended up in the hands of extremist groups in Nigeria.
Speaking to delegates on the spread of illicit firearms on
Tuesday, at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, Izumi Nakamitsu, UN
under-secretary-general and high representative for disarmament affairs, said
looted weapons fuel violence in communities long after wars have ended.
Nakamitsu said weapons looted during the 2011 conflict in
Libya resurfaced across the Sahel region and have caused devastation across
peaceful communities.
“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after
the 2011 conflict, which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, later surfaced
across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria,”
Nakamitsu said.
“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist
groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring
countries years later.
“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the
circulation of those weapons; it stays, and it continues to harm people.”
She added that small arms proliferation can undermine
peacebuilding efforts.
The high representative for disarmament affairs noted that
weapons retained by armed groups, militias, and communities for self-protection
can contribute to renewed violence and instability.
She pointed out that illicit weapons are linked to human
rights abuses, terrorism, and sexual and gender-based violence.
“It is not just a security issue. It is also about
peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,”
Nakamitsu said.
The under-secretary general said weapons used in conflict
would continue to circulate, crossing borders and fuelling crime.
“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in
that particular conflict would not be under full control,” she said.
“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They
are brought across borders.”
She added that the emergence of ghost guns, 3D-printed
firearms, and sophisticated trafficking networks are creating new challenges
for governments worldwide.
“Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and
then trafficked, are more difficult to trace.”
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