The United Nations (UN) has stated that some weapons looted during the 2011 Libyan conflict were found with terrorists in Nigeria.
This was made known at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, by the UN under-secretary-general and high representative for disarmament affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu.
She said, “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.
“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 stated that illicit weapons are used by armed groups and also linked to human rights abuses, adding that "it is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development.
“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control.
“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders.”
