The Sahel and the UN: a smaller footprint, a different role

For much of the past decade the United Nations’ most visible role in the Sahel was its peacekeeping operation in Mali, MINUSMA, created by the Security Council in 2013. That mission ended in June 2023 at the request of Mali’s transitional government, and the force completed its withdrawal by the end of that year. The UN, however, has maintained political, humanitarian and development engagement across the region through bodies such as the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and other parts of the UN system.

The character of that engagement has changed: it is now primarily political and civilian rather than military. UNOWAS is a special political mission focused on preventive diplomacy, mediation, conflict prevention and support for political dialogue rather than peacekeeping. In February 2026 the Security Council extended UNOWAS’s mandate to January 31, 2029 and requested an independent strategic review of its activities, to be completed by September 30, 2026.

Regional politics have shifted in ways that narrow the UN’s levers of influence. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally withdrew from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025 and have strengthened cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States, elevating sovereignty and strategic autonomy in their political messaging. Analysts quoted in the reporting say those states have dismantled mechanisms that once allowed outside actors greater leverage and that new regional arrangements and military governments are reshaping how crises are managed.

External actors have also altered the security landscape. The reporting highlights Russia’s growing role, notably through what analysts describe as an Africa Corps whose support has helped Mali’s and Niger’s military governments withstand political shocks. Observers note Moscow’s presence affects not only events on the ground but also deliberations in the Security Council. Given these shifts, regional and UN interlocutors argue the organisation should concentrate on diplomacy, security-sector governance, prevention and development rather than seeking to re-establish large-scale peacekeeping forces.

Humanitarian and development work remain important avenues for UN engagement because displacement, armed violence, organised crime, food insecurity and climate-related pressures continue to cross borders in the Sahel. With some governments resisting external military interventions, humanitarian operations and political mediation constitute the principal mechanisms through which the UN can continue to operate in a region that is asserting greater sovereignty while facing persistent humanitarian and security challenges.