Despite the progress in shoring up peace and human rights in West Africa, paucity of good governance still undercuts progress in the region, a United Nations (UN) report has said. UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, disclosed this while presenting the Secretary General's latest report on the region to members of the Security Council.

"The resurgence of coups d'état in West Africa, which I have consistently denounced, and the major role played by the armed forces in these coups, are a reflection of the difficult civil-military relationships in situations of bad governance," the envoy quoted the UN scribe, Ban Ki-moon, as stating in the report.

He said the past six months had seen economic growth in West Africa supported by the global economic recovery, but noted that these improvements have not resulted in sustainable poverty reduction schemes.

Noting the eight anti-poverty targets world leaders pledged to achieve by 2015, he said for the region, the "prospects for achieving the Millennium Development Goals remain weak."

Also of great concern, according to him, is the food crisis touching the lives of millions of people in the Sahel, especially in Niger, home to more than seven million hungry people.

He however said recent experience in the subregion has shown that opportunities for crisis prevention and sustainable peace are now available more than ever, thereby underscoring the key role international assistance could play in promoting human rights, supporting electoral processes and helping in the fight against drug trafficking, among others.

While noting that earlier this year, a constitutional crisis was brewing in Niger, while the lives of large segments of Guinea's population were affected by food insecurity, drug trafficking and other obstacles, the envoy noted that in the six months since his last briefing to the Council, situation in the region has improved.

The staging of peaceful elections in Togo - with the subsequent formation of a new government with the participation of part of the opposition - and the continued commitment of Niger's authorities to a transition programme are encouraging signs of progress, he said.
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Djinnit also said: "In Guinea, steps are being taken to restore constitutional order, with the first round of presidential polls having been peacefully held on 27 June ...

"Needless to say stable and peaceful democratic governance in Guinea will have far-reaching implications for regional stability, especially in bolstering hard-won peace in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Progress in Guinea could also help to address the ongoing crisis in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, which has seen political and security tensions rise in recent months".

The council however noted the proactive role played by the global body in forging strong partnerships with regional and continental partners and also mobilising international support.