UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel: Briefing and Consultations
This afternoon (18 December), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on West Africa and the Sahel. Deputy Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel Barrie Freeman is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), which was published on 28 November and covers developments from 1 August. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
Recent months have witnessed significant political and security developments in the West Africa and the Sahel region. On 7 December, Beninese military officers, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, declared on national television the overthrow of Beninese President Patrice Talon, as well as the suspension of the constitution and all state institutions. The coup plotters reportedly cited the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin as the motivation behind the takeover.
Responding to the unfolding situation, the Beninese government requested military assistance from regional partners. Shortly after, the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government authorised the deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force to Benin in support of the government and the Beninese Republican Guard to “preserve constitutional order and Benin’s territorial integrity”. The force comprises troops from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Nigeria deployed ground forces and fighter jets to Cotonou—the seat of the presidential palace—to dislodge the coup plotters from the state television headquarters and a military camp. France also provided intelligence and logistical support to Benin, as well as intelligence assistance to Nigerian forces. Within hours, President Talon appeared on national television to announce that the situation was under control and that the coup attempt had been foiled.
The coup attempt was a cause of significant concern for several international interlocutors, including France, the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the UN. Strongly condemning the coup attempt, Chairperson of the AU Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf urged all actors involved to immediately cease all unlawful activities, adhere fully to Benin’s constitution, and promptly resume their official duties within their designated barracks and in keeping with their professional roles.
In Guinea-Bissau, military leaders carried out a coup d’état on 26 November, seizing control of the country and ousting President Umaro Sissoco Embaló from office. The officers subsequently announced the immediate suspension of the electoral process, halted the activities of media outlets, and ordered the closure of all borders. Political figures—including Embaló and opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira—as well as officials from the country’s National Electoral Commission were reportedly arrested during the takeover. These developments occurred one day before the provisional results of the 23 November presidential election between Embaló and Fernando Dias da Costa were expected to be announced. General Horta Inta-A Na Man was subsequently sworn in as the country’s transitional president and head of the military command. (For more information, see the brief on West Africa and the Sahel in our December 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
Several international stakeholders—including the AU, ECOWAS, and the UN— condemned the coup, calling for the restoration of constitutional order. On 28 November, the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) convened an emergency session and immediately suspended Guinea-Bissau from participating in all activities of the AU, its organs, and its institutions until constitutional order is restored in the country. ECOWAS followed suit, mandating the country’s suspension from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies.
Council members held closed consultations on 8 December to discuss Guinea-Bissau’s political situation, at the request of Sierra Leone. Briefing at the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee apparently encouraged Council members to condemn the coup and to support ECOWAS-led mediation efforts, characterising the developments in Guinea-Bissau and Benin as indicative of a broader trend of coups affecting the region.
During the consultations, it seems that several Council members condemned the unconstitutional intervention, while acknowledging the positive role that ECOWAS plays in the region, including in light of recent developments. Moreover, some Council members apparently supported the idea of pursuing a Council product to condemn the unconstitutional change of government and respond to the crisis. However, it seems that Russia expressed reservations, arguing that at the time there was no reliable information about the situation and that the Council should not rush to judgement. It seems that Denmark and Sierra Leone (the co-penholders on UNOWAS) circulated press elements during the consultations in an effort to encourage the development of a Council product, but this was not possible due to Russia’s position.
The security situation in much of the West Africa and the Sahel region remains fragile. The Secretary-General’s latest report observes that terrorist and armed group activity has persisted in the Lake Chad Basin and central Sahel, as well as along the region’s border areas with coastal states, particularly Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo. In Mali, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and affiliated groups have maintained operational momentum. These groups have intensified attacks in recent months and blocked fuel supplies to the capital and other regions of the country, undermining security and leading to a severe fuel crisis and economic disruption. (For more information, see our 17 November What’s in Blue story.) Security incidents have also increased in the tri-border areas of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana.
Transnational organised crime has also compounded the security threat posed by terrorism in the region, with authorities reporting significant narcotics seizures, reflecting West Africa’s continued role as a key transit hub for illicit drug trafficking networks.
During today’s meeting, members may be interested in discussing and hearing more from Freeman about regional and national efforts to combat the growing threat posed by terrorist groups. In this connection, some Council members may wish to discuss strategies for harmonising regional counter-terrorism efforts, including cooperation between ECOWAS and the central Sahelian states (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger), which formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023.
Efforts by ECOWAS to re-establish dialogue with the AES have continued. Between 8 August and 9 November, the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, visited Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, and Côte d’Ivoire, among other countries, to reaffirm ECOWAS’ commitment to inclusive dialogue with the AES. Moreover, during a 30 September ministerial-level meeting, the AUPSC decided to establish a Task Force to support Sahelian countries in the fight against terrorism.
Some Council members may use today’s briefing to reiterate the need to pay closer attention to the region and express support for exploring avenues for enhancing regional efforts to address cross-cutting threats to peace and security. In this regard, regional member states and Special Representative and Head of UNOWAS Leonardo Santos Simão have expressed support for the use of resolution 2719 of 21 December 2023 to enable a regional force to access UN assessed contributions in line with the framework for financing AU-led peace support operations.
Some Council members may also raise concerns regarding the region’s humanitarian challenges. Humanitarian conditions across West Africa and the Sahel remain dire, driven by persistent insecurity, displacement, and climate shocks that continue to strain already limited coping capacities. In areas affected by insecurity, women, children, and youth have continued to experience grave violations and abuses of their rights, including sexual and gender-based violence, which remain widespread and are exacerbated by displacement, economic hardship, and weakened protection systems. Humanitarian access also remains severely constrained, mainly in the Sahel, due to insecurity and movement restrictions on aid workers.
According to the Secretary-General’s report, as at 3 November, only 23 percent of the UN humanitarian appeal—amounting to US $3.1 billion and required to assist 6.9 million people across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria—had been received, leaving millions without adequate support. In this regard, some Council members may emphasise the need for international partners to adequately fund the humanitarian appeal and provide coordinated, timely support.
The impact of climate change in West Africa and the Sahel may also be discussed at the meeting. Members who were on the 7-12 December visit of members of the Informal Expert Group (IEG) of members of the Security Council on Climate, Peace and Security to the Chadian part of the Lake Chad Basin. During the visit, the delegation—led by Slovenia, co-led by Guyana and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and joined by Denmark, France, Greece, Sierra Leone, and the UK—met with relevant stakeholders to discuss localised impacts of climate change on peace and security across Chad and the broader region. These included representatives of government and local authorities, intergovernmental organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), UN entities, as well as women and youth leaders, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations.
