The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has said that West African States and those in the Sahel must unite to deal with their security challenges head-on.
He said this on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while receiving the new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Annadif.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, revealed this in a statement titled, ‘We must team up to fight instability in the sub-region and The Sahel, President Buhari tells UNOWAS Special Rep.’
He said, “You are our neighbour. You have vast experience on matters affecting the Sahel, having served for five years in Mali. I hope you will get the countries to work together to confront the issues affecting them.
“I hope under the auspices of UNOWAS, you will help get the problems sorted out. Most of them have to do with the instability in Libya, and it affects all of us.â€
While describing the security challenges as “enormous,†Buhari added that the Boko Haram insurgency has ravished the lives and resources of Nigerians and inhabitants of some neighbouring countries even as large swathes of Mali remain occupied by militants.
He promised Nigeria’s support to the Special Rep to aid his new assignment.
In his remarks, Annadif said he was visiting shortly after his appointment because he recognized Nigeria’s crucial role in West Africa.
He said the problems of the Sahel region are not new to him, which is why, more than ever, he would depend on the help of Nigeria to succeed.
