UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sounded the alarm over the escalating threat of terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel, warning that expanding terrorist networks, mass displacement, and the collapse of essential services are now a growing concern worldwide. Speaking at the UN Security Council, Guterres emphasized that the surge in terrorist groups is not just a regional issue, but a global one, with the Sahel accounting for19% of terrorist attacks and over half of global terrorism-related casualties.
Around four million people are now displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring countries. Guterres urged a unified, coherent, and consensus-based regional response, calling for sustained financial support for humanitarian efforts and a development strategy targeting the root causes of terrorism. He highlighted the need for intelligence sharing and financial tracking through the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Compact and ECOWAS’ counter-terrorism strategy.
Humanitarian appeals for the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin remain severely underfunded—less than a quarter of the $4.9 billion needed has been raised. Guterres stressed, “Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken,” urging action against poverty and investment in sustainable development.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray warned that terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel to threaten all of West Africa. He announced the accelerated deployment of ECOWAS standby forces and called for better coordination to prevent fragmentation in counter-terrorism efforts.
Sierra Leone President Julius Bio, who chairs both the Security Council and ECOWAS Authority, called for democratic trust, decisive action, and a proposed ECOWAS-UN-African Union compact to ensure predictable financing and operations.
Leave a comment