UN Warns Libyan Arms Fueling Extremist Violence in Nigeria

The United Nations reports that weapons looted during Libya’s 2011 conflict have surfaced with extremist groups in Nigeria. This warning came from Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, at UN Headquarters in New York. She noted that arms diverted after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi later crossed into the wider Sahel region, including Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. These illicit weapons continue to drive violence, undermine peacebuilding and contribute to human rights abuses and gender-based violence. The UN highlights emerging threats such as ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms, which evade tracing and cross borders undetected. Member states adopted key measures in 2001 and 2005 to mark, record and trace small arms, aiming to secure stockpiles and combat illicit trafficking. Through technical assistance and capacity-building programmes, the UN supports governments in improving stockpile security, strengthening border controls and tracing illegal weapon flows to prevent further destabilisation.

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