Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed concerns about arms originally sent to Ukraine being used by African extremist groups within the Lake Chad region. The concerns come as officials previously stated they “have no idea” where some weapons go upon entering the conflict area. “Weapons being used for the war in Ukraine and Russia are equally beginning to filter into the region,” said Buhari, as the discovery of arms in the area “bolster the ranks of the terrorists in the Lake Chad Region.”
From National File:
The Nigerian president pointed to Libya’s involvement as a positive step, as the nation was previously a major source of arms flows after the disastrous U.S.-lead intervention that led to a decade of civil war and insurgencies that continue to this day. As the situation in Libya moderately improves, Buhari warned that arms shipments from Ukraine are now becoming a major security concern in the Lake Chad region. He said weapons from Libya “continue to find their way” to Lake Chad extremist groups, now joined by fresh streams of equipment from Ukraine and Sahel. Buhari did not elaborate on how weapons from the Ukrainian battlefield were being diverted to Africa, though Western governments have tacitly admitted that there are concerns about arms trafficking stemming from Ukraine. The potential for US weapons sent to Ukraine to fall into the wrong hands is “among a host of considerations” given the “challenging situation” as the war continues, said Bonnie Denise Jenkins, who serves as the U.S. undersecretary for arms control and international security, back in July.
