The United Nations has warned that terrorist groups are expanding across West Africa and the Sahel, posing an increasing threat to coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea.

Briefing the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, said the threat remains acute, particularly in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria, with armed groups increasingly using drones, advanced communication tools and cryptocurrencies.

Simão also warned of growing links between terrorism and drug trafficking, while noting that women, children and schools continue to bear the brunt of the violence.

The Security Council called for stronger regional cooperation to address the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, weak governance and climate vulnerability.

Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the UN reaffirmed the Alliance of Sahel States’ commitment to peace and dialogue, while the UN stressed that lasting stability will require sustained international support, humanitarian assistance and closer regional collaboration.