Ambassador Jeffrey Bartos
U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform
New York, New York
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you Special Representative Simão for your insightful briefing. We are grateful for your leadership and engagement across the region and look forward to receiving the United Nations strategic assessment of the mission in the coming months.
Colleagues, as we meet today, terrorism continues to fundamentally disrupt and shatter the lives of millions of people across the Sahel and West Africa. The latest attacks are more sophisticated, more coordinated, and are escalating in intensity.
The United States condemns in the strongest terms all terrorist attacks, including the April 25 terrorist attack in Mali, and the June 18 attack on the airport in Niamey, Niger. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed.
There must be accountability for the attacks perpetrated by al-Qa’ida-affiliated JNIM, ISIS-Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, Boko Haram, and all other terrorist groups operating across the region.
Mr. President, this Council should encourage greater coordination between the Alliance of Sahel (AES) states and their coastal neighbors. The current lack of coordination serves only the interests of the terrorist organizations operating in the region, as they eagerly exploit these political fractures.
The United States remains committed to engaging constructively with all countries in the region. Earlier this month, our Deputy Secretary of State met with the ambassadors of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in Washington to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with these countries based on respect for sovereignty and advancing mutual interest.
We continue to urge the Sahelian States and their Coastal West African neighbors to set aside their differences and seek a unified, coordinated response to terrorism; one that respects the rule of law and human rights, including military cooperation and intelligence sharing.
African ownership of the regional security situation, with a coordinated response among all countries in the region, is critical. The United States, in turn, will continue to work with our regional partners to counter these common threats.
Finally, the ongoing crisis in Sudan continues to have far reaching impacts on peace and security across the Sahel. The United States calls on the belligerents in Sudan to immediately commit to and comply with a humanitarian truce without conditions. There is no military solution to this conflict. The people of Sudan cannot wait any longer and deserve better.
I thank you.
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