YAOUNDE, Cameroon

The head of the UN urged peace and stability on Tuesday in Africa’s Sahel Region, where civilians are paying the price for the conflict.

“Despite recent promising developments, including the peaceful holding of elections, I remain concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the region, in particular in Liptako-Gourma, where the spiral of violence is aggravating an already difficult humanitarian situation,” Antonio Guterres said via a video-link during a G5 Sahel summit in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena.

“The forthcoming deployment of the Takuba Task Force, composed of European special forces in coordination with the G5 Sahel, illustrates this mobilization, and I thank the countries involved,” he said.

He said the G5 Sahel has a key role to play in addressing the crisis.

African peace support and counter-terrorism operations must receive a mandate by the UN Security Council under Chapter VII and sustained financing, including through assessed contributions, the UN chief said.

He said the civilian population is paying the price for the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. Development, rule of law and good governance are keys to achieving stability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated vulnerabilities, including economic and health challenges, and has pushed more than 6 million people into extreme poverty, according to Guterres.

There are more than 2 million displaced persons and millions more face acute food insecurity and it is all in the context of a major climate crisis, he added.

The G5 Sahel is an institutional framework for the coordination of regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in West Africa.

It was formed Feb. 16, 2014 in Nouakchott, Mauritania, at a summit of five Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

The current summit took place Monday and Tuesday.