Follow Us on Google
The United Nations has revealed that weapons looted during Libya’s 2011 conflict have been traced to extremist groups operating in Nigeria, highlighting the long-term security consequences of arms proliferation across the Sahel region.
The disclosure was made by Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, during a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. She warned that arms diverted during and after the conflict that led to the fall of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi continue to fuel violence and instability in several African countries.
According to Nakamitsu, weapons looted from Libya resurfaced across the wider Sahel, including in Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso, where some were later recovered from extremist and terrorist groups.
“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later,” she said.
The UN official noted that although the Libyan conflict ended more than a decade ago, the weapons stolen during the war remain in circulation, creating new security threats far beyond Libya’s borders.
Her comments come as Nigeria continues to battle terrorism, banditry and other forms of armed violence, particularly in the North-East and parts of the North-West, where security agencies have repeatedly raised concerns over the influx of illicit weapons through porous borders.
Other News
Nakamitsu warned that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons remains a major obstacle to peacebuilding efforts. She explained that firearms retained by armed groups, militias and communities for self-defence often contribute to renewed violence, making post-conflict recovery more difficult.
She further linked the spread of illicit weapons to terrorism, organised crime, human rights abuses and gender-based violence, stressing that the issue extends beyond security and affects development and governance.
“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons. They remain in circulation and continue to harm people,” she said.
The UN official also highlighted emerging threats such as ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms and sophisticated trafficking networks, which she said are making it increasingly difficult for authorities to trace illegal weapons.
Security experts have long warned that the collapse of Libya under the weight of the 2011 uprising opened a major channel for the movement of weapons into West Africa, strengthening insurgent and terrorist groups across the region.
The latest warning from the United Nations is expected to intensify calls for stronger regional cooperation, tighter border security and improved arms-tracking mechanisms to curb the flow of illicit weapons and address the security challenges confronting Nigeria and the wider Sahel.
