UN Shifts Sahel Role From Peacekeeping to Diplomacy

With MINUSMA's 2023 withdrawal and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger quitting ECOWAS in January 2025, the UN's Sahel presence now rests on diplomacy, mediation and aid through UNOWAS. The Security Council extended UNOWAS's mandate to January 2029 and ordered a strategic review due September 30, 2026, as the AES states pursue sovereignty and Russia's Africa Corps expands its influence.