Jihadist violence is growing in Sahel, UN warns

The UN has warned that the threat posed by jihadist groups in the West African and Sahel region is growing, sparking fears of increased violence, as reported by Africa News via AP on February 5th.

At a Security Council meeting on February 4th, the acting Undersecretary-General of the UN’s Counter Terrorism Office, Alexandre Zouev, warned that groups affiliated with the so-called Islamic State are continuing to “recruit foreign terrorist fighters, and to enhance their use of new and emerging technologies.”

Zouev added that Islamist extremist organisations have to operate partially due to opportunistic fundraising, unlawful taxation and kidnapping foreigners for ransom payments, which is known as “economic jihad.”

Burkina Faso and Niger have experienced violence from jihadist groups in recent months, while neighbouring Mali has been under a fuel blockade imposed by the al-Qaeda affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) since September 2025.

Additionally, Zouev highlighted the expansion of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which broke away from Boko Haram in Nigeria in 2016; both groups seek to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Africa.

Since its establishment in 2009, Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates to “Western education is a sin”, has killed thousands of people in Nigeria, particularly in the northern Borno State, which borders Cameroon.

Boko Haram’s influence has also expanded into neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Niger and Chad, where jihadist militants have perpetrated deadly attacks.

In 2025, the World Food Program warned that deteriorating humanitarian conditions, exacerbated by aid cuts, risked driving desperate people to extremist groups for food and protection.

Similarly, in 2024, the UN found that more than 50% of global terrorist attacks occurred in Africa, with many being concentrated in the Sahel region.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been called the “Sahel triangle” in relation to jihadist terrorism by various security agencies, with al-Qaeda-affiliated groups aiming to expand their operations into the Maghreb region and Europe.

In an effort to counter rising extremism, the three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a cooperation pact designed to confront terrorism through shared intelligence and military resources.

All three countries, former French colonies led by military juntas installed after coups, have cut ties with Western powers in favour of developing strategic and security ties with Russia.

Africa News via AP, Maghrebi.org