A senior United Nations official has warned that weapons looted during Libya’s 2011 conflict have found their way into the hands of extremist groups in Nigeria and other countries across the Sahel, underscoring the long-term security risks posed by the illicit spread of arms.

Speaking at a meeting on the proliferation of illicit firearms at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, said weapons diverted or looted during and after the conflict that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi continue to fuel violence across the region.

According to Nakamitsu, some of the weapons that surfaced beyond Libya’s borders were later traced to extremist groups operating in countries including Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso.

“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict, which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria,” she said.

“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later.”

Nakamitsu stressed that the end of armed conflict does not necessarily halt the circulation of weapons used during the fighting, noting that such arms often remain in circulation long after hostilities have ceased.

“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 added.

The UN official warned that the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons can undermine peacebuilding efforts and contribute to renewed instability. She noted that weapons retained by armed groups, militias and even local communities for self-defence can prolong insecurity and increase the risk of violence.

Nakamitsu also linked the proliferation of illicit weapons to terrorism, human rights abuses, and sexual and gender-based violence, describing the issue as one that extends beyond security concerns.

“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” she said.

She further cautioned that weapons used in conflicts frequently cross international borders through illicit trafficking networks, fuelling organised crime and insecurity in other regions.

“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control,” Nakamitsu said. “They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders.”

The UN official also highlighted emerging threats posed by ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms and increasingly sophisticated arms trafficking networks, warning that the disassembly and illegal movement of weapon parts make them significantly more difficult for authorities to trace.

Her remarks come amid growing international concern over the proliferation of illicit weapons across the Sahel, where insecurity, terrorism and organised crime continue to pose major challenges to regional stability.