The UN's Evolving Role in the Sahel: A Shift from Force to Diplomacy

What Does the UN's Presence Look Like Now?

The United Nations' most visible role in the Sahel has shifted dramatically since the withdrawal of MINUSMA in 2023. Once a peacekeeping force that represented the UN's substantial presence in the region, the mission's end marked a turning point in how international actors engage with West Africa's political and security landscape.

Today, the UN's engagement focuses more on diplomacy, mediation, humanitarian aid, and development rather than troop deployment. The UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) has taken up this new role as a political mission, aiming to support preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, and political dialogue. Yet its influence remains constrained.

“The influence the UN can actually exercise is narrow,” said Mubarak Aliyu, a political and security analyst in Nigeria. “The AES states have stripped away the mechanisms that once gave outside institutions leverage, leaving ECOWAS and the Rome Statute, and building their own confederation and joint force instead.”

UNOWAS has been extended by the Security Council until January 31, 2029, but a strategic review is underway to evaluate its effectiveness in the current context. This review comes at a time when regional politics are reshaped by military governments, new alliances like the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and an emphasis on sovereignty.

Russia's Influence and Changing Security Dynamics

Another critical factor shaping the Sahel's future is Russia's expanding presence. The formation of Russia's Africa Corps has significantly impacted how military governments in Mali and Niger have maintained power—offering regime protection where traditional international institutions could not.

This new dynamic underscores a broader shift in regional security partnerships, one that the UN must now navigate carefully. Moscow's role extends beyond military assistance; it also influences decision-making at the UN Security Council level through its veto power.

As Kabir Adamu, founder of Beacon Security and Innovations Limited, noted, “Looking ahead, the UN's priorities in the Sahel should promote effective security sector governance and reform. This will mean pivoting from traditional, large-scale peacekeeping to deep-rooted and core preventive strategies and diplomacy that addresses the root causes of fragility, conflict and violence.”

How Has Sovereignty Changed the Political Space?

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have taken bold steps toward asserting national sovereignty. Their formal departure from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025, marked a major shift in regional governance. The countries also strengthened their cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which now serves as a framework for political and security alignment.

This departure has fractured the traditional mechanisms that allowed for coordinated responses to crises within West Africa. As a result, the UN's ability to leverage existing structures for engagement is increasingly limited.

Adamu emphasized the importance of regional collaboration: “As national security structures remain weak and extractive, and regional security architecture fragments, marked by the rise of the Alliance of Sahel States and shifting ECOWAS dynamics, the UN should prioritise pragmatic, inclusive mediation to bridge divides between Sahelian and coastal states, while actively bolstering alternative, functioning frameworks like MNJTF [Multinational Joint Task] and the Accra Initiative.”

Have the Problems in the Sahel Gone Away?

The withdrawal of peacekeeping forces has not diminished the challenges facing the Sahel. Displacement, armed violence, organized crime, food insecurity, and climate change continue to create instability across borders.

Climate change may not be the root cause, but it amplifies vulnerabilities in fragile states with weak institutions and communities already affected by conflict and displacement. These pressures persist despite the absence of large-scale international military presence.

In this context, humanitarian efforts become even more crucial. The UN must continue to support local resilience-building while working within a fragmented regional environment. As Adamu stated: “Crucially, the UN must double down on the core UNISS pillars of governance, resilience, and security by integrating climate-peace initiatives and empowering local capacities.”

What Does UNGA 81 Mean for the Sahel?

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on September 8, 2026, amid a dramatically altered Sahel. With no UN peacekeeping mission in Mali and the AES serving as a parallel framework to ECOWAS, the UN finds itself operating in a less authoritative political space.

Aliyu captured this shift well: “That leaves the UN closer to an advocate and service provider than a shaper of outcomes. It can report, brief, fund aid operations and press for access, but it cannot compel it or offer the regime security that has made Russia indispensable to the military governments.”

Yet for the Sahel, insecurity, displacement, humanitarian needs, and economic and climate pressures remain urgent. In this transformed environment, the UN's influence will increasingly depend on diplomacy, access, and strategic engagement with regional actors rather than a heavy-handed international presence.

As I reflect on the changing landscape of the Sahel, it becomes clear that the UN must embrace a new model—one rooted in partnership, flexibility, and long-term thinking. Only then can it maintain relevance amid evolving political dynamics and rising sovereignty concerns.