Libya’s instability caused security threat in Sahel – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday that the political instability in Libya is a recurring threat to the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa.

He expressed concern at the growing effect of the crisis on many lives on the continent.

The President, who stated this at a bilateral meeting with the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alhassan Quattara, on the sidelines of the 56th Ordinary session of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), noted that the crisis in Libya had perpetuated instability in the West Coast, with many of the trained fighters in the country now surviving on violent crimes and terrorism.

The 56th Ordinary session of ECOWAS was held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

President Buhari said the Libyan fighters, who were trained for the 43 years the late Muammar Gaddafi ruled the North African country, were armed with deadly weapons and had been roaming the Sahel and sub-Sahara sub-region, with no other skills for survival ‘‘but to shoot and kill.’’

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President Buhari expressed happiness that neighbouring countries were supporting Nigeria in tackling the menace of the fighters who have teamed up with Boko Haram, adding that there was a need to do more by the West African countries, under the ECOWAS platform and at bilateral levels.

The Ivoirian leader in his response, said he came to brief the Nigerian leader on progress of the ECOWAS mandate given to him to negotiate exit of Francophone West African countries from their currency union with France and European Union.

Ouattara said he was pleased to report that he received the full support of the French President Emmanuel Macron, and that the West African States were free to leave the union and join the ‘‘Eco,” the new currency designed for the sub-region.

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