Panafrican News Agency

The UN Security Council reaffirms support to Burkina Faso on fight against terrorism

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Burkina Faso president, Roch March Chrtistian Kaboré, also current chairman of the G5 Sahel, on Sunday evening held a working session with members of the UN Security Council delegation, which focused on security challenges in Burkina Faso, the cooperation between the UN integrated mission for Mali stabilization (MUINUSMA) and the joint G5 Sahel force, according to an official communiqué issued Monday.

 

The Burkinabe minister of foreign affairs, Alpha Barry, said the working session was held at the end of a meeting in the Malian capital, Bamako, which afforded participants the opportunity to re-examined the cooperation between MINUSMA and the G5 Sahel joint force.

 

‘’It was about finding how MINUSMA can support G5 Sahel in terms of logistics and operations so that the joint force becomes more active on the ground," minister Barry said in the communiqué.

 

According to the minister, the wish expressed by G5 Sahel member countries is that ‘’cooperation between the two forces, which was limited to within Malian borders can be extended all over the G5 Sahel area, using the seven battalions engaged in that joint force.

 

The German, Ivorian and French diplomats, Christoph Heusgen, Kacou Houdja and François Delattre, respectively, all of them permanent representatives of their countries to the United Nations, and co-presidents of the UN Security Council, offered their solidarity, friendship and support to Burkina Faso in its war against terrorism.

 

‘’The UN Secretary General gave instructions to his special representative for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, to concentrate the efforts made in the region on Burkina Faso," said Huesgen.

 

The delegation urged the Burkinabe government to work to strengthen the social fabric weakened by the intercommunal clashes.

 

The delegation said it was concerned with the respect of the citizens’ rights in the context of fight against terrorism.

 

‘’The fight against terrorism must be conducted by respecting human rights. Women and children must also be protected as they are most often the victims of the violence," said Heusgen.

 

The Security Council praised the vitality of the civil society engaged in the fight against corruption, lauding the spirit of integrity of the Burkinabes.

 

He congratulated Burkina Faso for the democratic reforms engaged, particularly on the revision of the constitution, and encouraged the government to continue reforms and implement the laws already adopted.

-0- PANA TNDD/JSG/MSA/VAO 25March2019