The United Nations (UN) has warned that terrorist groups operating in Northern Nigeria and across West Africa and the Sahel are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communications technology and cryptocurrencies, making them more difficult to combat.
The warning was delivered by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, during a briefing to the UN Security Council.
Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report on developments in West Africa and the Sahel, covering the period from 29 November 2025 to 30 June 2026, Simão outlined the political, security and humanitarian situation across the region.
The briefing followed the Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of UNOWAS until 31 January 2029.
Simão said terrorist groups were rapidly adapting their tactics by deploying modern technologies and strengthening cross-border coordination.
“Armed groups are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communications and cryptocurrencies while coordinating operations across borders,” he told the council.
He said the activities of the groups had become increasingly intertwined with transnational organised crime, enabling them to expand their territorial and economic influence while weakening public confidence in state institutions.
“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, eroding public confidence in state authority, with serious consequences for social cohesion,” he said.
Simão identified Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso as countries continuing to experience persistent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and high civilian casualties.
According to the report, insecurity across the region has displaced about 6.8 million people, while a further 1.28 million have become refugees or asylum seekers.
He said women, children and young people remained the most affected by the humanitarian crisis, adding that insecurity and funding shortfalls had significantly constrained humanitarian access to vulnerable communities.
Despite the worsening security situation, Simão acknowledged ongoing regional cooperation, including the reopening of the Kamba border crossing between Nigeria and Niger.
