UN changes approach to the Sahel after mission in Mali — Al Jazeera
The UN continues its work in the Sahel, including Mali, through diplomacy, humanitarian aid and development programmes following the end of the MINUSMA peacekeeping mission in late 2023. As Al Jazeera English reports, the organisation’s political work in the region continues through the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
The UN Security Council established MINUSMA in 2013. Its mandate was terminated in June 2023 at the request of Mali’s transitional government, and the mission’s withdrawal was completed by the end of that year. UNOWAS is a special political mission engaged in preventive diplomacy, mediation, conflict prevention and support for political dialogue.
Regional changes
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 29 January 2025. At the same time, these countries deepened cooperation within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), placing sovereignty and strategic autonomy at the centre of their political rhetoric.
Nigerian political and security analyst Mubarak Aliyu believes that the UN’s ability to influence the situation has narrowed because AES states withdrew from ECOWAS and the Rome Statute and created their own confederation and joint forces. According to Aliyu, the presence of Russia’s Africa Corps has become an important component of the security situation, while Moscow’s influence also affects the UN Security Council’s ability to make collective decisions regarding Mali.
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UNOWAS mandate until 2029
In February 2026, the UN Security Council extended UNOWAS’s mandate until 31 January 2029 and instructed that an independent strategic review of the mission’s mandate and activities be conducted. It is to be completed by 30 September 2026.
Kabir Adamu, founder and managing director of the Nigerian company Beacon Security and Innovations Limited, said that the UN should shift its focus from large-scale peacekeeping deployments to diplomatic, preventive and development solutions. He also called for support for security sector reforms, local capacities and the work of regional mechanisms, including the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Accra Initiative.
The Sahel continues to face population displacement, armed violence, organised crime, food insecurity and climate pressure. In the absence of a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, the organisation’s role in the region is increasingly linked to humanitarian aid, political mediation, support for dialogue and cooperation with regional structures.
