West Africa and the Sahel: Terrorism changes its face

In the face of these changes, government responses have struggled to keep pace, while weak regional dialogue dynamics have struggled to regain momentum.

Talking before Security Council on Tuesday, the head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simaonoting the growing threat.

‘Acute’ threat

“The threat posed by terrorist groups and other non-state armed groups remains acute, particularly in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria, and is now rapidly targeting coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea,” he warned.

According to him, these organizations are now adapting their methods very quickly. Drones, advanced communications tools, cryptocurrencies: their arsenal is constantly being modernized.

Their attacks are coordinated in various countries, while their ties to transnational criminal networks are strengthening. Their goals were more than just military operations. The terrorists want to consolidate territorial and economic control while undermining public trust in government authority.

This trend can be seen in the events of the last few months.

Mali is under pressure

In the Malia coalition consisting of the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (JNIM, in Arabic), affiliated with the Islamist terror group Al-Qaeda, and the Liberation Front of Azawad (FLA) launched simultaneous attacks on April 25 against Bamako, Kati, Gao, Kidal, and Mopti.

According to Mr. Simão, this attack resulted in civilian and military casualties, including Mali’s Minister of Defense.

Fighting now continues in the north of the country, while partial blockades of several roads disrupted supplies to the capital, including attacks on the power grid.

In the Nigeriaattacks mainly targeted Niamey airport and a military base in Tahoua, in the southwest. In the Burkina Fasonorthern and eastern regions continue to experience attacks, sometimes carried out using drones.

Finally, log in Nigeriathe country’s north and central region known as the “Middle Belt” are still plagued by kidnappings, repeated attacks, and heavy civilian casualties.

The crisis began to take root

As violence spreads, population displacement accumulates.

At the end of February, West Africa and the Sahel host nearly 6.8 million internally displaced peoplein addition to 1.3 million refugees and asylum seekers.

The Gulf of Guinea countries, long relatively protected, now host some 220,000 refugees.

In the Liberiathe number of Burkinabe nationals living there has tripled since 2025, rising from 40,000 to 140,000, putting pressure on land availability, public services and host communities.

But humanitarian access continues to deteriorate. Funding shortages are reducing aid operations, while women, children and young people are bearing the brunt of the crisis.

Drugs fuel instability

Another worrying development is the increase in drug trafficking.

According to Mr. Simão, drug production, trafficking, and consumption are increasing rapidly, especially in coastal countries where authorities make many seizures. Young people are the main victims, but some armed groups are also reported to use these substances on their fighters. Even more worrying, these cartels are said to be increasing their influence over certain public institutions, thereby contributing to the weakening of these institutions.

This phenomenon illustrates the increasing interconnectedness between terrorism, organized crime and parallel economies, which increasingly blurs the lines between insurgency, human trafficking and effective governance in this storm-torn region.