Libyan crisis complicating security problems in Sahel and Sahara region

Ahmed Adel

Rampant terrorism in Libya is complicating the security problems of the nearby Sahel and Sahara states.

Terrorist groups active in Libya energize others operating in Sahel and the Sahara states, Niger and Chad in particular. The same groups are becoming a basic component of military conflicts in these states.

Chadian President Idriss Déby attributed on April 23 most of the security problems in the Sahel and the Sahara region to security unrest in Libya.

Have you heard about an African blowing himself up before Libya descends into chaos, Déby asked in an interview with France International Radio.

President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou told the same radio that Libya was the source of rampant terrorism in his country.

This is particularly so with international interference in Libya and the failure of Libyan parties to reach a political settlement to the conflict in their country.

Chad

Chad had to shut down its borders with Libya, Sudan and the Central African Republic in September 2019. It also imposed a three months’ emergence on the borders with the three states. The emergency was renewed several times later.

In August 2019, President Déby said arms were smuggled into his country from Libya. He vowed to stage war against arms smugglers and those responsible for killing ordinary people.

President Déby said the region would not return to normal so long as Libya suffered unrest.

Niger

President Issoufou described the Libyan crisis as a major danger for the security of the countries of the Sahel region.

In September 2019, he told the French language weekly magazine Jeune Afrique that his country is more involved in the fight against terrorism than ever before.

He added that bringing down the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was a gross mistake on the part of western powers.