A3+ JOINT STATEMENT AT THE UNSC MEETING ON UNOWAS

  Delivered by

H. E. Dr. Michael Imran Kanu, Ambassador / Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone

18th December 2025

Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+ members, Algeria, Guyana, Somalia, and my own country, Sierra Leone.

2. We thank Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ms. Barrie Freeman for her comprehensive and insightful briefing.

3. We take note of the Secretary-General’s report on the activities of UNOWAS. We commend SRSG Leonardo Simão and his team for their continued engagement, especially during this period of considerable political complexity and heightened security challenges. We express our sincere sympathy to the SRSG at this time of personal loss.

4. We also commend the SRSG and his team for the progress achieved through the Cameroon–Nigeria Mixed Commission, and the political will demonstrated by both parties to see this process through to completion.

Colleagues,

5. Recalling presidential statement S/PRST/2006/38, it has been nearly two decades since this agenda was first placed before the Security Council. Recent developments in Guinea-Bissau and Benin demonstrate that the situation in the region remains fragile and requires concerted attention. This underscores the need for renewed support to regional mechanisms, in particular ECOWAS, and for full adherence to the region’s normative framework, including zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government.

6. We therefore welcome the statement by ECOWAS condemning the unconstitutional change in government in Guinea-Bissau, and strongly urge the perpetrators to respect the will and democratic aspirations of the people of Guinea-Bissau. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all officials and political figures who are being arbitrarily detained.

7. We further commend ECOWAS leadership and the Federal Republic of Nigeria for their swift intervention in response to the attempted coup d’état in Benin, and welcome the sustained efforts of ECOWAS, including the deployment of elements of the ECOWAS Standby Force, in support of the Government and people of Benin.

8. As highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report, political tensions linked to electoral processes, restrictions on civic space and institutional reforms continue to test democratic resilience in several countries. The A3+ welcomes the progress achieved across many national contexts, including the successful conclusion of peaceful elections in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the referendum in Guinea, as it continues its political transition process. We commend national stakeholders, regional organizations and international partners whose efforts continue to sustain peacebuilding gains.

9. The A3+ notes, however, that the political and security environment in West Africa remains deeply challenging. Terrorist groups, including JNIM, ISSP, ISWAP and Boko Haram, have intensified their attacks, expanded their geographic reach, and disrupted essential services, economic activity and humanitarian access, including through the increasing use of sophisticated weaponry.

10. Through successive engagements in this Council, we have collectively underscored the multidimensional and mutually reinforcing nature of the region’s challenges, political, security, humanitarian and development, exacerbated by the negative effects of climate change. Yet we have also seen positive outcomes, including peaceful transitions, successful mediation and economic growth. These gains demonstrate that peace consolidation in West Africa is attainable.

Mr. President,

11. In view of the foregoing, the A3+ wishes to make four points.

12. First, on the indivisibility of regional security and the need for coordinated responses and a common strategy. West Africa’s geographic interconnectedness means that no national crisis is isolated. Border communities have become terrorist hotspots, and insecurity in the central Sahel continues to spill over into coastal States. This poses a persistent threat to countries within and beyond the region, since terrorism is inherently cross-border. There is therefore no alternative to broad and effective regional coordination.

13. In this regard, we welcome the participation of countries affected by terrorism, including statements on behalf of the Alliance of Sahel States, at the briefing on peace consolidation in West Africa held during Sierra Leone’s presidency of the Council in November 2025. We also welcome the decision in the final communiqué of the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government “to sustain their engagements with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for effective and strengthened collaboration to tackle the deteriorating security situation in the region”.

14. We emphasize the critical importance of sustained engagement with neighbouring countries to ensure coordinated responses, as dictated by the prevailing security situation across the region. Operational measures, cross-border cooperation, intelligence-sharing and joint border monitoring, must be strengthened and sustained. We call for efforts to consolidate existing mechanisms, reinforce partnerships and rebuild trust where strained. We reiterate our call to reinforce and fully leverage continental mechanisms, including CISSA, AFRIPOL and the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre.

15. We further underscore the importance of experience-sharing among African countries confronting terrorism. Lessons learned from different regional contexts can strengthen collective responses, inform stabilization strategies and reinforce African-led solutions rooted in local realities.

16. We also welcome partnerships that support political trust-building and effective counter-terrorism efforts, including intelligence-sharing and enhanced cross-border security coordination under existing African Union and subregional mechanisms. In this regard, we welcome the relevant commitments reflected in the Joint Declaration of the 7th African Union–European Union Summit and in the European Union’s new Strategy for the Sahel.

17. Second, on sustaining regional security through regional leadership. The A3+ welcomes steps taken by the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and other regional leaders, including engagements with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger at various levels, as well as engagements by the African Union. Continued and enhanced cooperation among these actors, with the support of the United Nations, is more urgent than ever.

18. We commend UNOWAS for its facilitation role and support the renewal of its mandate in 2026 to ensure continuity of efforts. The SRSG’s engagements, including on electoral support, regional security cooperation and the climate-change–peace-and-security nexus, remain indispensable.

19. We welcome the positive expressions of readiness conveyed by delegations during the 18 November briefing to consider the operationalization of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) in the context of counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel.

20. We commend ECOWAS’ efforts, in conjunction with the African Union, towards a shared vision for the deployment of a regional standby force on counter-terrorism, ensuring it is properly equipped, sustainably financed and rooted in mutual trust, with constant coordination with the AU. In this regard, we welcome progress, including the operationalization and activation of the Regional Counter-Terrorism Brigade, and the convening of the Committee of Chiefs of Intelligence Services.

21. We also affirm that terrorism should not, under any circumstances, be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or group. International support must be constructive and coherent, respect sovereignty, and reinforce regional ownership.

22. Third, on disrupting the financing of terrorism. The A3+ expresses grave concern about the increased sophistication and brutality of terrorist attacks, including the targeting of fuel convoys in Mali, mass-casualty attacks in Nigeria, and escalating violence in border areas. The expansion of criminal networks, smuggling, drug trafficking and kidnappings for ransom, requires stronger and more coherent joint action.

23. We call for the implementation of the Council’s counter-terrorism framework in West Africa, particularly measures to prevent and combat the financing of terrorism. We emphasize enhanced regional cooperation and information-sharing, and support to ECOWAS and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), to disrupt illicit financing, including through trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and the abuse of informal financial systems, in accordance with international law.

24. We note that the United Nations is preparing for the ninth review of its Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in 2026, marking its twentieth anniversary. We hope this review will take full account of all aspects of countering terrorism and emerge as a more comprehensive and effective tool to address the evolving nature of this threat.

25. Fourth, on advancing conflict prevention by addressing root causes. While military and kinetic action is necessary, it is not sufficient. Military pressure must be accompanied by the visible and trusted presence of the State. Terrorist groups exploit governance vacuums, weak service delivery and limited access to justice to entrench themselves and recruit, particularly in newly stabilized areas.

26. Addressing inequality, lack of opportunity and climate vulnerability must therefore proceed in parallel. We welcome the Peacebuilding Commission’s advice and encourage Member States, UN entities and regional institutions to use this guidance in shaping interventions. The Secretary-General’s report also illustrates the acute humanitarian and climate-related pressures affecting nearly all countries in the region, including devastating floods impacting almost 900,000 people.

27. We underscore the transformative potential of the region’s youth. We welcome the Council’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2807, which further strengthens the Youth, Peace and Security agenda and helps ensure that young people are empowered as partners in peacebuilding, rather than exploited as instruments of conflict. We welcome Liberia’s adoption of its first YPS National Action Plan and note with appreciation that Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Senegal are advancing theirs.

28. Addressing root causes also requires robust humanitarian support to refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities. We urge Member States to fully fund humanitarian appeals, recognizing that only 23 per cent of the United Nations’ regional appeal has been met.

29. In closing, the A3+ reiterates that peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel depend on regional leadership and sustained coordination, supported by the unity of this Council and broader multilateral efforts. We acknowledge the value of joint initiatives undertaken by the A3+ configuration, including through UNOWAS co-penholdership, including with Denmark, and we look forward to sustained momentum on this agenda.

30. As this is the final statement for the A3+ in its current configuration, with the tenure of Algeria, Guyana and my own country, Sierra Leone, drawing to a close at the end of this month, we reaffirm that we have spared no effort in supporting countries in the region as they confront these challenges, and have sought to respond to their concerns effectively.

31. Ultimately, the situation in West Africa and the Sahel presents an opportunity for this Council and the broader international community to demonstrate unity, cohesion and a commitment to progressive and regionally owned solutions that advance shared security, stability and socio-economic development.

I thank you.