Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict and Human Rights georgetown

The leaders will also assess progress made since the formation of the International Coalition for the Sahel, following a summit in Pau, France, in January 2020. The summit will include members of the G5 regional counterterrorism force – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger – plus France, Germany, and other international partners, including the United Nations, African Union, and European Union. Human Rights should be front and center on the summit’s agenda.” “To reverse the slide, G5 Sahel leaders and their partners must ensure discipline in operations, hold abusers to account, and work harder to prevent further atrocities. “Unlawful killings by soldiers and armed Islamists are fueling recruitment into abusive armed groups and deepening the security crisis in the region,” said Corinne Dufka, Sahel Director at Human Rights Watch. Islamist armed groups allied to both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have also committed widespread atrocities, including the alleged killings in January 2021 of over 100 villagers in Niger, at least 32 villagers in Mali in July 2020, and more than 350 villagers in Burkina Faso since 2019. Promised investigations into these and numerous other alleged abuses have failed to deliver justice to victims and their families.

Since late 2019 Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and others have documented over 600 unlawful killings by the security forces of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger during counterterrorism operations.

The summit planned for the Chadian capital of N’Djamena on February 15 and 16, 2021, will assess the progress of the international coalition formed to combat the spread of Islamist armed groups in the Sahel. (Bamako) – Heads of state gathering in Chad should commit to protecting the rights of civilians and detainees and investigating alleged abuses during counterterrorism operations in the Sahel region, Human Rights Watch said today. A soldier stands guard in front of the G5-Sahel Counter Terrorism Force headquarters in Mali, May, 30, 2018.

Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict and Human Rights georgetown