The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General has expressed concern over Niger’s decision to withdraw from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNTJF) fighting armed Islamist groups in West Africa.
Leonardo Santos Simão, who is also head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), on Thursday told the Security Council that it was crucial to the region that the military coalition continues its operations.
He said stakeholders at the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in Maiduguri, Nigeria, had “stressed the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts and also financial support” to the force.
Santos Simão added that the MNTJF is currently the only security mechanism which is operational in the region.
The coalition is mandated to combat the Boko Haram insurgency and also includes Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria.
“In spite of the continued good offices to maintain the integrity of this coalition, Niger recently announced that it would withdraw from the taskforce. This announcement comes at a time when security is the main concern for the region.”
