UN Warns of Increasing Islamic State Threat in West Africa and Sahel. New York, United States — The United Nations has sounded the alarm regarding the escalating threat posed by the Islamic State group (IS) in West Africa and the Sahel region, with the acting Undersecretary-General of the U. N.
Office of Counter — Terrorism, Alexandre Zouev, describing the situation as particularly urgent.
According to regional officials, Zouev told the Security Council that the threat from IS has been steadily increasing and is now multipolar and increasingly complex. Despite sustained counter-terrorism pressure, the group and its affiliates have demonstrated resilience and adapted, recruiting foreign terrorist fighters and enhancing their use of new and emerging technologies.
The Sahel region in West Africa has become the epicentre of violent extremism, accounting for half of global terror deaths.
In the Lake Chad Basin, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has expanded its prominence, while in the Middle East, the group remains active in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, with renewed efforts to destabilize local authorities. Sources close to the matter say that the security situation in the Sahel is growing more critical by the day.
This intensification has led to a ‘disastrous domino effect’across the region, as outlined by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Sahel countries Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have suspended their participation in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) due to political and security considerations, which has further complicated collective responses to escalating violent extremism. Senior UN officials have highlighted the need for more nuanced approaches to counter-terrorism, including addressing socioeconomic inequalities.
These challenges are exploited by terrorist groups, contributing to the growing threat in the region.
The UN has emphasized the need for coordinated international efforts to address the IS threat, indicating a consensus on the urgency of the situation. While some Sahel countries have taken measures to withdraw from regional security bodies, suggesting internal conflicts and the complexity of the security situation on the ground, the UN continues to advocate for collaboration among Member States.
Further details are expected as the situation continues to evolve, with the UN urging adequate resources and the cooperation of all Member States to achieve their shared goal: a world free from terrorism.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 3*
