Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum said that terrorist groups active in the Sahel possess sophisticated weapons and ammunition in large quantities, pointing out that they come from Libya, saying they were purchased at cheap prices through Libyan smuggling networks.
Bazoum added, during a speech at the Dakar Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, that there is a grave mistake in the means of combating arms trafficking from Libya, to arm extremist factions operating in the Sahel region, describing the fight against arms trafficking in the region as “weak.”
The Nigerien president stressed that the Sahel countries need more adaptive support from their partners, centered around intelligence, air support, and strengthening the capabilities of the armies and at the level of intelligence, indicating that the grave mistake made by the partners; represented by the weak engagement in the fight against arms trafficking from Libya.
