UN Warns Terrorism in Africa Is a Growing Global Threat

A Nigerien soldier guards a strategic location in Ouallam, Niger.

Expanding terrorist networks, mass displacement, and the collapse of essential services in West Africa and the Sahel are increasingly concerning the world.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Monday that the rise of terrorist groups is “not only a dramatic regional reality. Progressive links of these groups in Africa and beyond make it a growing global threat.”

The vast Sahel region, which stretches nearly coast to coast across Africa, accounts for 19 per cent of terrorist attacks worldwide and over half of global terrorism-related casualties. Around four million people are now displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighbouring countries.

Responding to the threat

To address the crisis, Mr Guterres urged a “unified, coherent and consensus-based” regional response, continued financial support for humanitarian plans, and a development strategy to tackle the root causes of terrorism.

He called for enhanced intelligence sharing and financial tracking through the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Compact — the UN’s coordination mechanism against terror — as well as the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) counter-terrorism strategy.

He also highlighted that humanitarian appeals for the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin remain severely underfunded, with less than a quarter of the $4.9 billion needed raised. “Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken,” he said, stressing the need to fight poverty and invest in sustainable development.

Collaboration and synergy

Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, warned that terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin to threaten all of West Africa.

He informed the Security Council that ECOWAS is accelerating the deployment of its standby force, starting with 1,650 personnel and scaling up to 5,000 with regional and partner support.

Touray said that while partners have taken action against terrorism, the proliferation of initiatives has caused “fragmentation,” hindering cooperation. He stressed that coordination and cohesion must be a priority.

“No amount of money, no amount of equipment will help us overcome terror if we don’t collaborate and build synergy,” he said. “Our current differences should not be exploited; they should be bridged.”

‘Moral compass’

Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone — which currently holds the Security Council presidency for November and chairs ECOWAS — called for reimagining ECOWAS “not just as a regional bloc, but as a community of courage, the moral compass and stabilising force of Africa.”

He emphasised the need for democratic trust, decisive action against extremism, and regional security coordination. He also proposed an ECOWAS-UN-African Union compact — a coordinated mechanism to ensure predictable financing and operations across the region.