19/06/2026
Nubian Center for Peace and Democracy Participates in a Human Rights Council Side Event on Civilian Protection and Regional Security in the Sahel
Geneva – 18 June 2026
The Nubian Center for Peace and Democracy (NCPD) participated in a side event held on the margins of the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, organized by CIDH Africa and the Sahara Center, under the title: “Protection of Civilians and Regional Security in the Sahel Region.”
The event brought together a number of international and regional figures working in the fields of human rights, peacebuilding, humanitarian action, and regional security, including Dr. Abdul Basit Syed FRSA, President of World Humanitarian Drive (WHD); Mohammed Ahmed Gain, President of the African Institute for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation; Hammadiel Filali, Secretary-General of CIDH Africa Network; and Dr. Shaibata Mrabih Rabou, President of the Sahara Center for Studies and Researches in Development and Human Rights.
During the event, Dr. Mohamed Salih Mohamed Yassin, President of the Nubian Center for Peace and Democracy and Additional Representative of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), delivered a recorded statement on transboundary terrorism, addressing the growing security and humanitarian challenges facing the Sahel region. He emphasized that the protection of civilians must remain at the core of all regional security strategies and efforts to combat transboundary and cross-border terrorism.
Dr. Yassin noted that the Sahel is experiencing a convergence of multiple crises, including armed conflict, terrorism, violent extremism, forced displacement, climate change, food insecurity, and governance challenges. He stressed that civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden of insecurity through displacement, the collapse of essential services, loss of livelihoods, and the erosion of social cohesion.
He further highlighted that transboundary terrorism is no longer an isolated national challenge but a regional threat requiring coordinated regional and international responses, particularly as extremist groups increasingly exploit porous borders, institutional fragility, illicit trafficking networks, and emerging technologies, including drones, digital platforms, hate speech, and disinformation campaigns.
The intervention underscored that military responses alone are insufficient to achieve sustainable peace and security. Instead, civilian protection requires a broader human rights and human security approach that addresses the root causes of instability, including poverty, marginalization, lack of opportunities, weak institutions, and unequal access to education, healthcare, justice, food security, and human dignity.
The Center also called for all counter-terrorism measures to be fully aligned with international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the rule of law. Dr. Yassin warned that arbitrary detention, excessive use of force, collective punishment, and other violations against civilians undermine public trust and create conditions that extremist groups exploit for recruitment and expansion.
In concluding his remarks, Dr. Yassin emphasized the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, investing in women and youth, and supporting inclusive, resilient, and accountable institutions. He stressed that genuine security should not be measured solely by military gains, but by the extent to which civilians are protected, human rights are upheld, displacement is reduced, and opportunities for sustainable development and lasting peace are expanded.
Please watch the full video of the Nubian Center for Peace and Democracy’s participation through the following link:
https://youtu.be/Ivs-uHqv3Rg?si=AjhAddBYh6vwScb0
