They are embracing modern technology; deploying drones, encrypted communications and cryptocurrencies, to sharpen their operations, deepen their reach and make it harder for security forces to track them.

That stark warning came before the United Nations Security Council as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, presented the Secretary-General’s latest report covering developments between November 29, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

The briefing painted a troubling picture of a region where terrorism is becoming more technologically advanced, increasingly intertwined with organised crime, and more devastating for millions of civilians.

Addressing the council, Simão warned that extremist groups are rapidly evolving their tactics.

“Armed groups are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communications and cryptocurrencies while coordinating operations across borders,” he said.

According to him, these groups are no longer isolated insurgents but sophisticated criminal networks seeking to expand both territorial influence and economic control.

“The problem is acute, especially in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria… Their actions intersect with transnational organised crime, and are aimed at consolidating territorial and economic control, erosion of public confidence in State authority, with serious damage to social cohesion,” he warned.

The report was presented as Security Council members reviewed the worsening political, humanitarian and security landscape across West Africa and the Sahel. It also followed the council’s decision to extend UNOWAS’ mandate until January 31, 2029, reaffirming international support for preventive diplomacy in the region.

The UN warning comes only weeks after the United States disclosed what it described as the largest seizure of terrorist equipment in Nigeria since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

According to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, the United States Deputy Assistant and Senior Director for Counterterrorism, a joint operation involving Nigerian security forces recovered an extensive cache of electronic devices and operational materials from jihadist groups.

The haul was reportedly so massive that an additional aircraft was required to transport the recovered equipment to the United States for forensic examination. The operation also led to the killing of 199 jihadists during a single raid.

Despite ongoing military offensives, Simão said Nigeria, alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, continues to endure frequent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and heavy civilian casualties.

He described the humanitarian consequences as catastrophic.

“The human cost of the violence is devastating,” Simão told the council, noting that about 6.8 million people have been displaced across the region, while another 1.28 million people are refugees or asylum seekers.

He added that humanitarian operations remain severely restricted by insecurity and inadequate funding, with women, children and young people bearing the greatest burden.

While acknowledging some diplomatic progress, Simão pointed to the reopening of the Kamba border crossing between Nigeria and Niger as a sign that regional cooperation is gradually improving. He also cited progress by the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in implementing the 2002 International Court of Justice judgment on the two countries’ land and maritime boundary.

“These are some examples of regional efforts towards dialogue,” he said.

However, the UN stressed that military campaigns alone cannot eliminate violent extremism.

“Fighting poverty and vulnerability must therefore remain a common objective in the broader fight against terrorism,” Simão told the council.

He noted that ECOWAS is working to operationalise its standby force, although financial constraints have limited the scale of the initiative.

The Security Council’s 15 members largely agreed that terrorist organisations in West Africa and the Sahel are becoming increasingly sophisticated and more closely linked to organised crime, illicit trafficking and drug networks.

Delegations from the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Liberia, Pakistan, Burkina Faso and others argued that security operations must be matched with investments in governance, education, employment, humanitarian assistance and economic development to address the root causes of instability.

A note from the meeting stated:

“Council members broadly agreed that increasingly sophisticated terrorist networks, linked to organised crime and drug trafficking, threaten regional stability. Speakers stressed that military action alone cannot defeat extremism and called for governance reforms, development, education, job creation and humanitarian support to address root causes.

“Despite worsening insecurity, regional diplomacy is gaining momentum, with renewed cooperation among Sahel States and members of the Economic Community of West African States. The council signaled strong support for UNOWAS and preventive diplomacy as essential tools for confronting both immediate security threats and the region’s long-term challenges.”

Participants also warned that drug trafficking, production and consumption are worsening insecurity, particularly in coastal West African countries.

A Liberian representative observed that “Youth are the principal victims,” adding that intelligence reports indicate terrorist fighters are increasingly using drugs.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Anna Evstigneeva, told the council that the Security Council had already recognised several attacks as acts of terrorism and suggested that “external forces” continue to play a role in supporting terrorist activities in the region.

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