Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Niger
Delegate Name: Hannah Weber
Niger’s stance on indiscriminate weapons, such as landmines, cluster munitions, and chemical weapons, is shaped by its commitment to international humanitarian law, its role within regional and international organizations, and the security challenges it faces in the Sahel. The use of such weapons is prohibited under various international treaties, and Niger has made significant efforts to comply with these agreements. Overall, Niger does not support the use of indiscriminate weapons because of the treaties it follows and will support resolutions that ban the use of indiscriminate weapons and take action against terrorist and insurgent groups that use them.
Niger is a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty (the Mine Ban Treaty), which was adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 1999. The treaty prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Niger has actively supported this treaty and has made progress in clearing minefields, particularly in areas affected by conflict and insurgency, such as in the Diffa region, where Boko Haram insurgents have previously used landmines. Niger’s participation in the Mine Ban Treaty demonstrates its commitment to eradicating indiscriminate weapons like landmines, which cause harm to civilians long after conflicts have ended. Niger has also received support from international organizations, such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), in mine-clearance operations. As of 2020, Niger was reported to have completed its stockpile destruction of anti-personnel mines, marking significant progress in adhering to the treaty’s objectives.
Niger is also a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, and transfer of cluster bombs and requires the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and assistance to victims. The treaty entered into force in 2010, and Niger ratified it shortly after in 2011. While the Sahel region has seen various types of explosive devices used by militant groups, Niger itself has not been a significant user or producer of cluster munitions. However, Niger’s alignment with this international convention reflects its broader commitment to eliminating indiscriminate weapons.
Niger is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development, production, and use of chemical weapons. Although chemical weapons are not commonly used in the Sahel, Niger’s adherence to this convention is part of its broader alignment with global norms against the use of weapons of mass destruction. Niger has not been implicated in the use of chemical weapons, and there is no evidence to suggest that it possesses such weapons, but its ratification of the CWC indicates its commitment to international arms control regimes.
While Niger has adhered to international conventions on indiscriminate weapons, the country faces significant security challenges, including from armed groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). These groups have been known to use various forms of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines, which can be classified as indiscriminate weapons in some contexts. The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) has noted that the spread of such devices poses a substantial risk to civilian populations in conflict zones in the Sahel. Niger has cooperated with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to clear such devices and support victims of landmines and IEDs.
Niger’s government has not been involved in the use of indiscriminate weapons against civilian populations. However, like other countries in the region, it is caught in a security dilemma, where non-state armed groups engage in tactics that contravene international law, including the use of landmines and other IEDs, which often result in civilian casualties. The Sahel is a region where international efforts, such as the G5 Sahel Joint Force, aim to counter terrorism and extremism. As part of these initiatives, Niger has advocated for strengthening international legal frameworks and ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law, which includes the prohibition of indiscriminate weapons. Niger has called for greater international support in addressing the security threats posed by these groups, which sometimes deploy indiscriminate weapons as part of their insurgency tactics.
Niger is home to several organizations and groups working on humanitarian issues, including those that address the threats posed by landmines, cluster munitions, and other indiscriminate weapons. Human Rights Watch and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are active in the region and report on the ongoing humanitarian consequences of these weapons. For example, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) has provided reports on landmine casualties in Niger and highlighted the challenges of clearing landmines in conflict-affected areas, including the Diffa region. The Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and Danish Demining Group (DDG) have also been involved in landmine clearance operations in Niger, particularly in areas impacted by insurgent activity along Niger’s borders with Nigeria and Mali.
Niger’s position on indiscriminate weapons aligns with its international obligations and commitment to humanitarian principles. The country is a signatory to key disarmament treaties such as the Ottawa Treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the Chemical Weapons Convention. While Niger does not have a history of using such weapons itself, it faces significant security threats from militant groups in the region who use indiscriminate weapons, such as landmines and IEDs. Niger continues to support efforts to address the humanitarian impact of such weapons through international cooperation and mine clearance programs.
Sources:
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL): www.icbl.org
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA): www.un.org/disarmament
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Reports on Niger: www.hrw.org
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS): www.unmas.org
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): www.icrc.org