Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
Aswan, Egypt — Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has called for a broad-based and coordinated regional response to address the deepening security and humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region, stressing that military efforts alone cannot deliver sustainable peace.
Speaking on Sunday at the 5th Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Aswan, Egypt, Governor Zulum — whose state has borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade — said the persistent instability across the Sahel demands a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach rooted in cooperation, development, and humanitarian action.
“The crises of instability, terrorism and displacement that plague the Sahel cannot be solved by kinetic means alone,” Zulum stated. “We must look beyond the battlefield. There is an urgent need for a multifaceted approach that combines security, development, and humanitarian assistance in a synchronised manner.”
He stressed that the transnational nature of extremist groups requires countries in the Sahel to act collectively, warning that isolated national efforts will continue to fall short.
“In the Sahel context, you cannot address the challenges by just looking at two or three countries. You need to look deeper into the political region of the Sahel as defined by the United Nations Strategy, which covers 10 countries, including Mauritania, Gambia and Guinea, among others. Collaboration among the larger Sahel communities is paramount.”
Governor Zulum also underscored that poverty, illiteracy, and climate change are major enablers of extremism, urging international partners to shift focus from short-term humanitarian interventions to sustainable development solutions.
“For the last 15 years, we have had many interventions in Borno State, but humanitarian support is not a sustainable solution,” he said. “We received many donors and non-governmental organisations, but most of them engaged in short-term humanitarian aid. There is a need for sustainable solutions that promote development because without development, there can be no peace or security.”
The roundtable also featured other African leaders, including Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Mali; and Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso — all of whom shared commitments to fostering stability and cooperation across the Sahel.
Governor Zulum’s remarks reinforced his long-held advocacy that development is central to defeating terrorism, calling on African nations and international partners to align their efforts toward a peaceful and resilient Sahel.
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