December 20, 2024
Thank you Madam President,
I would like to thank the Special Representative Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão for his briefing and Mrs. Levinia Addae-Mensah for her presentation.
France is following the situation in West Africa and in the Sahel very closely.
Madam President,
France is concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the central Sahel and in the Lake Chad basin, where terrorist attacks by local branches of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as community violence, have reached unprecedented levels.
These atrocities have had disastrous humanitarian consequences, leading to over 25 million people in need of assistance.
Moreover, climate change is making access to resources particularly challenging in the region. The recent floods in the region reminded us of this negative effect. France is fully mobilized to provide the appropriate solutions and has renewed its support for the “climate, peace and security” mechanism, specifically in the region, to deal with this situation.
Madam President,
We must work collectively to identify solutions to these challenges. France remains convinced that the situation in the region can improve through a peaceful political environment and an engagement by all actors towards an inclusive dialogue, especially in the perspective of the forthcoming elections. This can be achieved through the return to constitutional order and the rule of law where it has been suspended, in order to lay the foundations of a democratic governance. Last but not least, it requires universal respect for human rights as well as freedom of association and expression. France commends the efforts deployed by the UNOWAS Special Representative in order to maintain dialogue, and his support to the ECOWAS initiatives, with the useful contribution of Senegal and Togo.
These challenges should not overshadow the positive developments in the region over the last few months. France commends Senegal and Ghana for their recent transparent and inclusive elections. France also welcomes the progress made in transitional justice in Gambia and Guinea, as well as the new step towards national unity in Sierra Leone.
France stands ready to continue working with UNOWAS and other partners in the region, within a framework that upholds international law.
Thank you.