Secretary-General, Addressing Security Council, Warns of ‘Disastrous Domino Effect’ as Terror Threat Intensifies across Sahel, Calls for Coordination

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Security Council meeting on the theme, "Enhancing Regional Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in West African and the Sahel", in New York today:

I thank the presidency of the Council for the month, Sierra Leone, for convening this important meeting. And I thank His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for his leadership and tireless commitment to regional peace and stability.

We meet at a moment of profound urgency. The security situation in West Africa and the Sahel is growing more critical by the day. The recent developments in Mali are a clear reminder of what is at stake. Since September, the JNIM, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, has disrupted fuel supplies along key corridors into Bamako.

In the last month, terrorists have continued to attack military-escorted convoys, killing and kidnapping both soldiers and civilians. This is causing enormous hardships for the population, as fuel — and the goods, markets and basic services that rely on it — are in short supply. And in some cases, vital humanitarian operations, including life-saving UN operations, have been forced to reduce services due to fuel shortages. If the situation continues, the consequences could be deadly for people who depend on these life-saving programmes.

Despite these challenges, hundreds of trucks have finally been able to enter Bamako last week, and more fuel stations are seeing some supplies in recent days. But, the situation remains stark for Mali, but also for Burkina Faso, and to a lesser extent, Niger.

Established groups expand their reach. Several coastal States are under threat. We face the risk of a disastrous domino effect across the entire region. Many countries are reeling. Terrorism in the Sahel is not only a regional dramatic reality. Progressive links of its groups in Africa and beyond make it a growing global threat.

The Sahel countries were already near the bottom of the human development index, suffering from high levels of poverty, weak institutions and the disastrous effects of climate change. Against this fragile backdrop, armed groups and terrorist networks continue to exert pressure on Government forces: from JNIM to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which continue to grow and expand their reach; to Islamic State West Africa Province, Boko Haram and Lakurawa, which remain active across the Lake Chad Basin, particularly in parts of Nigeria and Niger.

According to the Global Terrorism Index, 5 of the 10 countries most affected by terrorism are in the Sahel. The Sahel accounts for 19 per cent of global terrorist attacks — and over half of global terrorism-related casualties. This violence and instability are unleashing massive suffering.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 4 million people are now displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and neighbouring countries. And 14,800 schools have closed across the Sahel, along with over 900 health facilities, leaving millions without critical care. I see three areas of urgent action.

First, this regional crisis demands a regional response, one that is unified, coherent and consensus-based. With countries leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), now is the time for dialogue and collaboration among all countries to strengthen the security and political cooperation architecture in the region.

This means bridging the communication, coordination and trust gaps between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, with the support of the African Union and the United Nations. It means restructuring the Accra Initiative and strengthening the Multinational Joint Task Force, which remains the only functioning platform for cooperation on regional security in Lake Chad.

It means confidence-building with regional neighbours like Mauritania and Algeria to address the security threat in a coordinated way. It means this Council supporting all efforts to rebuild trust and strengthen international and regional security cooperation, including among ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States and other key countries.

And it means collaborating through the Global Counter-Terrorism Compact and the ECOWAS Counter-Terrorism Strategy to share intelligence, strengthen financial tracking and disrupt the financing and criminality that fund terrorism.

I’m aware of the serious political differences that exist in the region. But, it is absolutely essential that, despite these differences, we build a platform of cooperation among intelligence and security services of the countries of ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States, Mauritania, Chad and Algeria to allow for coordinated action against terrorism.

We must also confront a stark fact: The lack of dedicated financial resources to coordinate an appropriate regional response. I recall with deep regret the lack of consensus as far back as 2017 on providing predictable and sustainable financing for the G5 Sahel [Group of Five for the Sahel] initiative, namely through UN assessed contributions. In hindsight, this has proven to be a strategic error with clear and dramatic consequences not only for the Sahel, but for the region and international peace and security. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes again.

Second, humanitarian needs must be met. I call on Member States to maintain strong financial support for humanitarian response plans in the region. The six humanitarian appeals in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin for 2025, which require a combined 4ドル.9 billion, remain severely underfunded. So far, less than one quarter of this has been raised, and only about half of what was available at this time last year.

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Mali, in particular, is only 16 per cent fulfilled — among the lowest coverage rates worldwide. The world needs to stand in full solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring a desperate level of hardship and suffering. Predictable, timely and flexible funding is vital to sustain hope and enable rapid recovery for the region and the people who call it home.

And third, we need a coherent development strategy to address the conditions that lead to terrorism taking hold in the first place. Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken. When families are trapped into poverty and young people have no access to education or work, extremism gains ground. When governance fails, where development stalls, where public services break down, where human rights are violated, where communities are marginalized, where citizens no longer have faith in their institutions, terrorists are finding ways to exploit people’s grievances.

Repairing these fractures, investing in broad-based development and transforming despair into opportunity is our strongest defence against radicalization. This requires effective solidarity from the international community to help countries fight hunger and poverty, invest in sustainable and inclusive health and education systems and adaptation to climate change, and strengthen social protection and essential services.

It requires strengthening economic opportunity and resilience and working with the private sector to create jobs and build sustainable livelihoods, so people can look to the future with hope, not fear. It requires expanding civic space for people to make their voices heard, and accountable institutions and governance structures anchored in equality and inclusion. And it means building effective justice systems grounded in the rule of law and upholding human rights.

As we work to respond to the crisis in the Sahel, the United Nations is committed to working with the countries of the region through my Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, and the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact led by the Office of Counter-Terrorism.

With coordinated efforts, political will and the support of Member States and this Council, we can deliver the security, stability and opportunity that the people of West Africa and the Sahel need and deserve. Thank you.