On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he is feared after the powers returned to the Taliban in Afghanistan as it would encourage other jihadist armed groups in the Sahel. He further called for the strengthening of security in the region.
During an interview, with media agency AFP, Guterres said, “I fear the psychological and real impact of what happened in Afghanistan. There is a real danger. These terrorist groups may feel enthusiastic about what happened and have ambitions beyond what they thought a few months ago.”
He further said, “It is essential to reinforce security mechanisms in the Sahel because it is the most important weak point, which must be treated.”
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He then said that the reason why he is fighting for there to be an African counterterrorism force, with a mandate under Chapter 7 of Security Council, is reports that France would reduce its presence in the region and Chad wants to withdraw troops from border areas near Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
While responding to the insufficient capacity, the UN chief said, “I fear today that the response capacity of the international community and the countries of the region are not sufficient in the face of the threat.”
He further said that he has been trying to give Sahel G5 – Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, a UN mandate.
The further told the media agency, “We must maintain a dialogue with the Taliban, where we affirm our principles directly – a dialogue with a feeling of solidarity with the Afghan people. We have to extend our solidarity to a people who suffer greatly, where millions and millions risk dying of hunger.”