The United Nations (UN) has warned that terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria, West Africa and the Sahel are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communication technologies and cryptocurrencies to strengthen their operations.
The warning was issued 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 covering developments between November 29, 2025, and June 30, 2026, Simão said terrorist groups have become more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to contain.
“Armed groups are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communications and cryptocurrencies while coordinating operations across borders,” he told the Council.
He explained that the activities of these groups are closely linked to transnational organised crime, with the aim of consolidating territorial and economic control while weakening public confidence in state institutions.
“The problem is acute, especially in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria,” Simão said. “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.”
According to the UN official, Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso continue to experience persistent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and heavy civilian casualties. He disclosed that about 6.8 million people have been displaced across the region, while an additional 1.28 million people are now refugees or asylum seekers.
Simão noted that women, children and young people remain the most affected by the worsening humanitarian crisis, adding that insecurity and funding shortages have significantly limited humanitarian operations across the region.
Despite the security challenges, he highlighted ongoing regional cooperation efforts, including the reopening of the Kamba border crossing between Nigeria and Niger and continued progress by the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in implementing the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment on the land and maritime boundary between both countries.
“These are some examples of regional efforts towards dialogue,” he said.
Simão stressed that military action alone would not be enough to defeat terrorism, urging governments to address poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic factors driving violent extremism.
“Fighting poverty and vulnerability must therefore remain a common objective in the broader fight against terrorism. Regional actors are working hard to find solutions,” he said.
He also informed the Security Council that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is making renewed efforts to operationalise its standby force, although funding challenges continue to hamper the initiative.