Sahel Special Envoy

Fast Tracking an Envoy: Why One and Not Another?

on March 23, 2020

It is interesting to see how the State Department moves in response to certain crisis spots around the world. Sometimes diplomats move speedily in response to a crisis. But other times, and in other areas, the response seems to border on the lethargic – even the outright apathetic.

This argument is currently playing out in West Africa. During remarks at an event at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC on March 3, the United States Assistant of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, confirmed plans to appoint a Special Envoy to the Sahel Region as the violence in the region escalates. The initial reports of the proposed creation of this position came out prior to Christmas.

Contrast this speed with the urgent and ongoing – and so far, unheeded – calls for a Special Envoy to be appointed to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin area. To complicate matters, two of the countries that will be covered by the new Sahel Special Envoy are also part of the Lake Chad Basin. These nations are Niger and Chad. They, along with Nigeria, have suffered attacks from the infamous Nigerian militant groups Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West African Province.) This raises another area of concern.

Several advocacy groups in Washington organized a sign-on letter to the State Department urging the immediate appointment of a Special Envoy to deal with Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region. The effort, led by Save the Persecuted Christians, was supported by over 100 organizations and dozens of individuals. If this request were granted, it would add Nigeria and Cameroon to the list of nations that would be covered by a Special Envoy.

The situation of Christians in Nigeria remains dire, to the point of genocide, with no sign of improvement on the horizon. Christian communities in the North and Middle Belts of Nigeria are targeted for extermination by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and the Fulani jihadists. And although the situation in Cameroon is a dire one as well, it continues to remain under the radar of most activists.

The activists advocating for a Special Envoy for Nigeria are most likely shocked by the speed at which the State Department appears to be moving on an envoy for the Sahel. And they are most probably frustrated that their efforts to get their concerns addressed appear to be falling on deaf ears. The push for a Special Envoy to Nigeria has been ongoing for two years.

It is true, of course, that similar issues connect the two regions of the broader Sahel and Nigeria/Lake Chad. Militant groups striking across borders is the most common issue plaguing the area. In recent months, however, there has been an increase in attacks against churches in the region. The New York Times reported Burkina Faso a prominent target since May 2019.

Nigeria has seen attack after attack on the Church. Both the State Department Report on Religious Freedom and research by USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) have documented attacks against churches in Nigeria.

In addition, the crisis within Cameroon exploded into violence in recent years. That conflict has morphed into a sectarian conflict where not only houses of worship are targeted. Specific religious groups and those voices of the faithful who have spoken out about the violence have been targeted in Cameroon as well.

Apparently, the State Department feels that the violence in the Sahel is of more compelling security interest to the United States than what is taking place in both Nigeria and Cameroon. This despite the fact that elements of both crises affecting security in all parts of the region. And the fact that the situation in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region is growing worse and worse and could soon dwarf the Sahel’s security interests to the United States.

Both because of the the United States’ legacy of moral obligation to the vulnerable and persecuted, and our desire to protect our own national security against overwhelming upset that would be caused by the break-up of Nigeria, we once again repeat the urgent request for a Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. There needs to be a strong mandate for Special Envoys for both regions, envoys that understand that they are called to defend both the interests of both the United States and persecuted African people groups.

No comments yet

The work of IRD is made possible by your generous contributions.

Receive expert analysis in your inbox.