Dr Mohamed IBN Chambas, the African Union Chief Mediator on Sudan, has enumerated factors fueling insecurity in the Sahel region, including weak governance and corruption.
By Taiye Agbaje/Funmilayo Adeyemi
Dr Mohamed IBN Chambas, the African Union Chief Mediator on Sudan, has enumerated factors fueling insecurity in the Sahel region, including weak governance and corruption.
Chambas, a guest lecturer at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Inaugural Annual International Lecture in Abuja, said military solution alone would not address the problem.
According to him, weak governance and corruption has helped to create a conducive environment for insecurity.
He said the Sahel region is so vast that there are lots of ungoverned spaces in the zone, causing the increase in the insecurity rate.
The AU chief also listed crisis in Libya, Sudan, Mali, among other factors that could be attributed to the challenge .
Besides, he said foreign interference and external forces had equally explored this for their own interest.
Chambas, who said the shrinking of Lake Chad Basin, particularly the Lake Chad, had caused more harm than good in the Sahel region, said focus should also be given to financing and supply network of the terror groups.
“These (issues of financing and supply network) should be effectively cut off or addressed.
“We see them (terrorists) riding hundreds of thousands of motorbikes. How are they getting these and the fueling? These are what we should interrogate,” he said.
He said issues of weak regional cooperation had further taken a toll on the insecurity problem.
Chambas said to tackle the problem headon, efforts should be made to alleviate poverty and inequality by countries in the region.
He said to deal with the root causes, social.amenities should be provided for the communities in Sahel region.
He said institutions should be straightened, including financial autonomy for local governments.
According to him, decentralisation will be meaningless without financial decentralisation.
He said this would assist the local government administrators to construct feeder roads and other infrastructure needed for the good of the people.
Besides, he said issues of farmer-herder clash should also be looked into by providing finance and introducing modern method of farming in the communities.
Chambas also said that women and the youths, who constitute larger population, should be empowered.
“It is not normal to keep them marginalised,” he said.
He said the youths, who had most been mobilised by the terror groups, should be empowered through entrepreneurial training, among others.
He said regional cooperation and initiatives should be stepped up.
“Nigeria should cooperate with neighbouring countries to address the insecurity
“This will ensure joint border protection,” he said.
Chambas, however, commended Nigerian government’s role in the establishment of the Multi-national Joint Task Force.
The Lecture with theme, ““Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impacts and Options” was conceived by the management of NAN as part of efforts to tackle the menace of insecurity in the Sahel and Nigeria.(NAN)
