The United Nations (UN) has said that weapons looted during the 2011 conflict in Libya later found their way into the hands of extremist groups operating in Nigeria and other parts of the Sahel.
Naijaonpoint reports that the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, disclosed this while addressing delegates at the UN Headquarters in New York during discussions on the global spread of illicit firearms and their impact on peace and security.
Nakamitsu warned that weapons stolen, diverted, or looted during armed conflicts often continue to fuel violence long after the original conflict has ended.
According to her, such weapons have contributed to instability, terrorism, organised crime, and insecurity across national borders.
The UN official said arms looted during the uprising that ended the rule of former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, later resurfaced in countries across the wider Sahel region, including Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
She said the development showed how weapons from one conflict could worsen insecurity in neighbouring countries years after the fighting had stopped.
“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 added that some of the weapons were later recovered from extremist organisations operating in the region.
“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later,” she stated.
Nakamitsu warned that the end of a war does not automatically end the circulation of weapons used during such conflict.
“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; it stays, and it continues to harm people,” she said.
The UN disarmament chief said the continued circulation of illegal firearms remains a major threat to peacebuilding, especially in fragile and conflict-affected societies.
She explained that weapons retained by armed groups, militias, and even local communities for self-defence often contribute to fresh cycles of violence.
According to her, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons should not be seen only as a security problem, but also as a development and human rights challenge.
She noted that illegal weapons have been linked to terrorism, organised crime, human rights abuses, and gender-based violence.
“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” Nakamitsu said.
Nakamitsu further stated that weapons used in armed conflicts often remain outside government control after wars end.
She said many of the weapons are hidden, trafficked across borders, or passed into the hands of criminal and extremist networks.
“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control.
“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders,” she said.
Her remarks come amid persistent concerns over the movement of small arms and light weapons across the Sahel, where terrorist groups, bandits, and other armed groups have continued to exploit weak border controls and conflict zones.
The UN official also raised concern over new threats linked to technological advancement in illegal arms production and trafficking.
She identified ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms, and sophisticated smuggling networks as emerging challenges for governments and security agencies.
According to Nakamitsu, these developments are making it harder for authorities to trace and intercept illegal weapons.
“Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and then trafficked, are more difficult to trace,” she said.
