UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on Sahel states to put aside their differences to confront the explosion of attacks by jihadist groups in this region gripped by a humanitarian crisis.

"It is absolutely essential that, despite these differences, we build a platform for cooperation between the intelligence and security services" of the countries in the region, he said in a video conference before the UN Security Council.

He called for unity on this issue between the countries of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), the ESA, the Alliance of Sahel States, formed by the ruling juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso which have left ECOWAS, as well as Mauritania, Chad and Algeria.

The number of jihadist attacks in the Sahel has exploded in six years, rising from 1,900 in 2019, mainly concentrated on the border between Mali and Burkina Faso, to more than 5,500 in 2024 and 3,800 before October 10, 2025, in an area now twice the size of Spain, according to an AFP analysis based on data from the organization Acled.

These acts of violence resulted in some 76,900 deaths.

Factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda (notably the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, or JNIM, its Arabic acronym) and the Islamic State group (IS) are now striking in almost all of Mali and Burkina Faso, from western Niger and Nigeria to the border with Senegal.

Addressing the Security Council, Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, recalled that "trust is necessary for countries to collaborate in sharing information and intelligence, border patrols and joint operations".

"Unfortunately, the situation in our region is characterized by mistrust," he lamented, calling on "the members of this Council and the international community to help us build trust."

The region urgently needs international financial assistance, amounting to $4.9 billion for six humanitarian appeals in 2025, according to Antonio Guterres. "So far, less than a quarter of that sum has been raised," warned the UN Secretary-General, lamenting that the plan for Mali is thus only 16% funded.

The current chairman of ECOWAS, Sierra Leonean Julius Maada Bio, called for a "pact for peace and resilience in the Sahel" between his organization, the UN and the African Union.