UN warns of widening terrorist threat across West Africa and the Sahel

The United Nations has documented a rapid escalation of extremist activity across West Africa and the Sahel, signalling a volatile shift in the region's security landscape."On the security situation, the threat posed by terrorist and other non-state armed groups remains acute, especially in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria, rapidly targeting coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea.

The operationalisation of the Combined Maritime Task Force in June 2026 marks a significant step toward collective security, yet experts maintain that military preparedness must be paired with robust investments in local governance to prevent the exploitation of northern frontier communities.