UN Raises Alarm Over Rising Terrorist Threats in West Africa, Sahel

The United Nations has warned of worsening humanitarian and security crises in West Africa and the Sahel, where terrorism continues to devastate communities, disrupt education, and threaten livelihoods. In 2024 alone, armed groups recruited 1,364 children, perpetrated 466 cases of sexual violence and forced the closure of more than 14,000 schools due to insecurity.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, gave the warning on Wednesday at the Regional Conference on Combating Emerging Terrorist Groups and Strengthening Sustainable Security in the ECOWAS Region and the Sahel, held in Abuja. He described the figures as symbols of “stolen futures, fractured communities, and deepening fragility,” noting that extremist groups are exploiting ungoverned spaces, local grievances and advanced technologies such as drones and encrypted communications to entrench their operations.

Simão cautioned that five of the ten countries most affected by terrorism globally are in West Africa and the Sahel, with fatalities rising sharply in 2024. He highlighted the expansion of extremist violence into sensitive border zones—including the Tambacounda region straddling Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania as well as protected areas like Park W, Arly, and Pendjari, endangering biodiversity, eco-tourism, and livelihoods.

The envoy also pointed to political tensions between neighbouring states and the worsening impact of climate change as factors fuelling extremist recruitment. He noted that the Central Sahel is projected to spend $3.2 billion on defence in 2025, diverting vital resources away from education, health, and climate adaptation. He urged governments to adopt a holistic strategy that combines military action with political dialogue, social investment, and sustainable development particularly targeting youth and women.

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, echoed these concerns, stressing that terrorism has become one of the gravest threats to peace and stability in the region. He argued that fragmented national responses are inadequate against a transnational menace and called for a robust regional framework anchored on real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated military operations, and harmonised legal systems.

Badaru also advocated the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, stronger cooperation on counter-terrorist financing, and the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence into regional early-warning systems. “Security in one country is inseparable from the security of its neighbours” he said, warning that legitimacy and respect for human rights must remain central to counter-terrorism efforts.