Weapons looted during Libyan conflict in Nigeria – UN

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The United Nations (UN) has stated that some weapons looted during the 2011 Libyan conflict later spread across the Sahel region and were eventually found in the hands of extremist groups operating in Nigeria. According to Izumi Nakamitsu, the collapse of weapons stockpiles after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi contributed to the movement of illicit arms into countries including Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

The UN warned that weapons from past conflicts can continue to fuel violence long after wars end. The organization said some of these arms were later recovered from extremist groups, illustrating how instability in one country can affect security across an entire region.

She cited Libya as a key example:“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict which ended the rule of Muammar Gadaffi later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and  Nigeria. Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later.”

The issue is part of a broader concern about the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across West Africa, where armed groups and criminal networks have benefited from cross-border weapons trafficking.

Nakamitsu warned that the end of fighting does not mean the end of weapons circulation, noting that illicit arms continue to fuel violence, crime and instability across borders. “The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; it stays and it continues to harm people,” she said.

She added that in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the proliferation of small arms continues to undermine peacebuilding efforts, even years after active conflicts have ended.

According to her, weapons retained by armed groups or communities for self-protection can also contribute to renewed violence, while illicit arms are linked to terrorism, human rights abuses, and sexual and gender-based violence. “It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” Nakamitsu said.

She warned that modern trafficking methods, including ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms and disassembled weapon parts, are making enforcement more difficult for governments. “Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and then trafficked, are more difficult to trace,” she said.

The UN highlighted that member states adopted an action programme in 2001 to strengthen national legislation, improve stockpile security, and combat illicit arms trafficking, followed by the 2005 International Tracing Instrument designed to standardise marking and tracing of weapons.

The organisation said it continues to support countries through technical assistance, policy guidance and capacity-building programmes aimed at improving border security and reducing the diversion of weapons into illegal markets.

This statement was made during discussions at the United Nations headquarters in New York on efforts to combat the global spread of illicit firearms.