The United Nations (UN) has disclosed that weapons looted during the 2011 Libyan conflict have found their way into the hands of terrorist groups operating in Nigeria and other countries across the Sahel, contributing to persistent insecurity in the region.
The revelation was made by the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, during a discussion on the global spread of illicit firearms and their impact on international peace and security at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Nakamitsu warned that arms diverted or stolen during conflicts often continue to fuel violence long after hostilities have ended, exacerbating terrorism, organised crime and instability across borders. She cited Libya as a clear example, noting that weapons looted during and after the 2011 uprising that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi later resurfaced in several Sahelian countries, including Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso.
According to her, some of the weapons were eventually recovered from extremist groups, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of the uncontrolled movement of arms after conflicts.
“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict, which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria,” Nakamitsu said.
She stressed that the end of a conflict does not necessarily mark the end of the threat posed by weapons used during the fighting.
“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later. The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; they remain in circulation and continue to harm people,” she stated.
The UN official described the proliferation of illicit firearms as a major obstacle to peacebuilding efforts, particularly in countries grappling with conflict and political instability. She noted that weapons retained by armed groups, militias and even civilians for self-defence can trigger renewed violence and prolong insecurity.
Nakamitsu also linked the spread of small arms and light weapons to terrorism, human rights violations and gender-based violence, emphasising that the issue extends beyond security concerns.
“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding, human rights and development,” she said.
She further explained that weapons used in armed conflicts often remain outside government control after wars end, enabling them to cross borders and fuel criminal activities in other regions.
“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons used in those conflicts are not always brought under full control. They continue to circulate, are sometimes hidden and are moved across borders,” she added.
Nakamitsu also raised concerns over emerging challenges in the fight against illicit arms trafficking, including the increasing use of ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms and sophisticated smuggling techniques, which make illegal weapons more difficult for authorities to trace and intercept.
“Those weapons or weapon parts, if disassembled and trafficked, become even more difficult to trace,” she noted.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the proliferation and illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons across the Sahel continue to drive terrorism, armed conflict, organised crime and regional instability, posing a serious threat to peace and development in the region.