Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on Enhancing Regional Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in West Africa and the Sahel
United Nations Secretary-General
18 November 2025
Belém, Brazil
Statements | António Guterres, Secretary-General
Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Security Council,
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.
Mr. President,
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 lifesaving 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 (ISGS), which continue to grow and expand their reach.
To Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), 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, five of the ten 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 UNHCR, about four 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.
Mr. President,
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 ECOWAS, now is the time for dialogue and collaboration among all countries to strengthen the security and political co-operation architecture in the region.
This means bridging the communication, co-ordination and trust gaps between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), 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 co-ordinated way.
It means this Council supporting all efforts to rebuild trust and strengthen international and regional security cooperation, including among ECOWAS, the AES 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 AES, 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 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.
Mr. President,
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 $4.9 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.
Excellencies,
Troisièmement, nous avons besoin d'une stratégie de développement cohérente qui s'attaque aux facteurs à l'origine de l'implantation du terrorisme.
Les terroristes prospèrent là où le contrat social est rompu.
Quand les familles s'enfoncent dans la pauvreté, et que les jeunes n'ont ni école ni emploi, l'extrémisme gagne du terrain.
Lorsque la gouvernance se dégrade, que le développement est à l'arrêt, que les services publics se détériorent, que les droits humains sont bafoués, que des communautés sont marginalisées, que les citoyens n'ont plus foi en leurs institutions - les terroristes exploitent ces ressentiments.
Réparer ces fractures, investir dans un développement large et équitable, et transformer le désespoir en perspectives positives : voilà notre meilleur rempart contre la radicalisation.
Cela implique une solidarité effective de la communauté internationale afin d'aider les pays à combattre la faim et la pauvreté, investir dans des systèmes de santé et d'éducation durables et inclusifs et dans l'adaptation face au changement climatique, et renforcer la protection sociale et les services essentiels.
Cela demande de renforcer les opportunités économiques et la résilience, et de travailler avec le secteur privé pour créer des emplois et des moyens de subsistance durables - afin que chacun puisse envisager l'avenir avec espoir plutôt que crainte.
Cela suppose d'étendre l'espace civique pour permettre à tous de faire entendre leur voix, et de bâtir des institutions responsables et des cadres de gouvernance fondés sur l'égalité et l'inclusion.
Cela signifie aussi mettre en place des systèmes judiciaires efficaces, fondés sur l'État de droit, et défendre les droits humains.
Monsieur le Président,
Alors que nous nous efforçons de répondre à la crise au Sahel, l'ONU reste déterminée à travailler avec les pays de la région - par l'intermédiaire de mon Représentant spécial pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest et le Sahel, M. Leonardo Santos Simão, ainsi qu'à travers le Pacte mondial de coordination contre le terrorisme, piloté par le Bureau de la lutte contre le terrorisme.
Grâce à des efforts coordonnés, à une volonté politique affirmée et au soutien des États Membres et de ce Conseil, nous pouvons offrir la sécurité, la stabilité et les perspectives dont les populations d'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Sahel ont besoin et qu'elles méritent tant.
Je vous remercie.
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