UN chief: Terrorists strengthen foothold in Africa's Sahel

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning that terrorist groups have strengthened their foothold across Africa's Sahel region, which is experiencing escalating violence.

The UN chief said in a report to the UN Security Council circulated Wednesday that the expanding foothold is "making large swaths of territory unstable and stoking ethnic, violence, especially in Burkina Faso and Mali."
The secretary-general said the challenges the Sahel is facing are caused by poverty, marginalization, impunity and weakened government presence, "and are compounded by the impact of climate change and the scarcity of natural resources."
But Guterres said he is "particularly encouraged" by the commitment of leaders of the West African regional group ECOWAS at a summit in September to pledge "USD 1 billion to fight terrorism and extremism over the next five years."