Guterres warns of the security situation in West Africa and the Sahel news

On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning about the increasingly difficult security situation in West Africa and the Sahel region, stressing that its danger goes beyond the regional scope to become an “escalating global threat.”

During a Security Council session on promoting peace and stability in West Africa, Guterres considered that the meeting was being held at a “very urgent” moment.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations said: “We face the risk of a catastrophic domino effect across the entire region,” adding that many countries are “reeling.”

Guterres stressed that terrorism in the Sahel region “is not just a tragic regional reality. The growing ties of its groups in Africa and beyond make it a growing global threat.”

He also highlighted developments in Mali as an example of the seriousness of the situation, noting that the “Jama’a Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin”, Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Sahel, had disrupted vital fuel supplies to Bamako, leading to a scarcity of basic goods and services and forcing UN life-saving operations to reduce their services.

Guterres warned that if this situation continues, the consequences could be dire for the people who depend on these life-saving programmes.

The UN official recorded that the Sahel countries were close to the bottom of the Human Development Index, as they suffer from high levels of poverty, weak institutions and the catastrophic effects of climate change, highlighting that against the backdrop of these fragile conditions, “armed groups and terrorist networks continue to exert pressure on government forces.”

Guterres also noted that groups such as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and Boko Haram continue to expand their influence and exploit the fragility of states in the Sahel region.

The Secretary-General stressed the United Nations commitment to working with the Sahel countries, expressing his confidence that through coordinated efforts and political will, security, stability and opportunities can be achieved for the people of West Africa and the Sahel region.