UNODC: Terrorist Groups Use Sexual Violence to Terrorise, Control their Victims

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Toure, has said terrorist groups deliberately use sexual and gender-based violence to terrorise, punish, and control their victims.

Speaking at the Second Expert Group Meeting on the ‘Development of a Toolkit for First Emergency Responders in Cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Linked to Terrorism’ held in Abuja, Toure said terrorist groups perpetrate these crimes against women and girls, as well as men and boys, targeting entire communities based on their faith, ethnicity or political identity.

“The harm does not end when an attack is over. Its consequences can endure for years, compounded by stigma, displacement and barriers that prevent survivors from accessing the care and justice they deserve,” he said.

Toure cautioned that the toolkit would only be as effective as the practitioners who helped shape it.

He reiterated that the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 had shown the world the devastating consequences of Boko Haram’s violence.

According to him, “The abductions led to forced marriages and sexual enslavement associated with the insurgency in the North-East. It demonstrated that such crimes were not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate method of terror.

“This is a global challenge. It is not confined to one religion, ideology or terrorist organisation. That is precisely why this toolkit must draw on experiences from different contexts while remaining firmly anchored in the rights, safety and dignity of those affected.”

Toure said the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council have established clear positions on the abduction of women and girls and the use of sexual violence by terrorist groups.

He explained that Security Council Resolution 2331 of 2016 recognised sexual violence and trafficking as tactics used by terrorist groups, while Resolution 2467 of 2019 called for a survivor-centred approach to addressing conflict-related sexual violence.

He added that the General Assembly had also reaffirmed these commitments through successive reviews of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Toure said that although international commitments were in place, their consistent implementation on the ground remained a challenge in countries such as Nigeria.

“A resolution alone does not reach a survivor. What matters is whether its principles translate into practical action and whether countries can adapt and implement them within their own national systems.

“I therefore trust that Nigeria will demonstrate the commitment required to domesticate this guidance and ensure that survivors across 36 states are not left behind,” he said.

Toure stressed that first emergency responders operated under some of the most challenging conditions imaginable.

“They may arrive during or immediately after an attack, amid continuing insecurity, mass casualties, limited resources and the overriding responsibility to save lives.

“Under such circumstances, signs of sexual violence can easily be missed. Evidence may be destroyed, survivors may become dispersed, and stigma may deepen,” he said.

On his own, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said sexual and gender-based violence could leave survivors facing lasting physical injuries, psychological distress, stigma and barriers to rebuilding their lives.

Represented by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, Ribadu added that families and communities also bore the consequences.

According to him, behind every discussion of response procedures, documentation and accountability lay an important principle: the safety and dignity of survivors must remain the foremost concern.

“For anyone who has experienced sexual violence, the manner in which assistance is first offered can influence their willingness to seek further care, their confidence in public institutions, and their path towards recovery.

“First, emergency responders therefore occupy a critical position. They may be the first to recognise that sexual violence has occurred, the first to receive a disclosure and the first to connect a survivor with medical care or protection services.

“They often work under severe pressure, with limited resources and competing demands,” he said.

Ribadu explained that the toolkit under consideration sought to equip responders with practical guidance for dealing with such circumstances.

He said: “Its development offers an opportunity to strengthen the connection between emergency assistance and survivor protection, and the preservation of information that can support investigations.

“We must keep one clear principle in view: every response should protect survivors from further harm. Urgent care, privacy, dignity and appropriate referrals must guide the initial encounter.

“Responders must also understand the limits of their responsibilities and know when specialist assistance is required.”