Abuja: Africas Sahel region has emerged as a focal point for global terrorism, with about 51% of worldwide terror-related deaths occurring there, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Two al-Qaeda-linked groups, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and the so-called Islamic State, are primarily responsible for the wave of terror in the Sahel, notably in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These groups are now extending their reach southward into coastal West African countries such as Benin, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Ghana.
According to Deutsche Welle, Benin's northern border towns face a constant threat of attacks on military outposts and civilians. In April 2025, JNIM militants killed at least 54 soldiers along the shared border with Burkina Faso and Niger. Togo has also experienced a similar surge in terror attacks. The coastal region serves as a corridor for these terror groups to escape military offensives and is a crucial trade route and gateway into landlocked countries, vital for European shipping lines.
The W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex, a network of protected lands and parks spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and bordering Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria, offers a "safe buffer" for terrorists. It is also a zone for smuggling and other illicit economic activities. Groups like JNIM are entrenched in the forests along the Benin-Niger border, launching attacks from there.
In recent years, Sahel-based terrorists have moved southward into largely ungoverned spaces in West Africa. These areas harbor strategic minerals and materials like timber, which have become sources of terrorism financing, as explained by Oluwole Ojewale, a researcher at the Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies. The sparsely populated and underdeveloped northern regions of many coastal countries are often exploited by terror groups, which recruit frustrated young people who feel neglected.
The collapse of security cooperation between the Sahel and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has created a security gap. This mistrust has allowed violence to spill over from the Sahel to the coast. Cross-border intelligence sharing between central Sahel states and the rest of West Africa has become minimal, insufficient to curb the infiltration of terrorist groups.
Despite individual coastal countries deploying security forces to control their borders, overcoming mistrust remains a challenge. Benin has deployed around 3,000 soldiers along its border with Burkina Faso and Chad. Some coastal countries have bilateral security deals; earlier this year, Benin and Nigeria agreed to collaborate on strengthening border security.
According to James Barnett, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, resources and logistics alone are insufficient to stem terrorism's spillover. Coastal and Sahel states need to overcome mistrust and share intelligence. Socioeconomic initiatives, alongside security responses, are imperative. Countries like Cote d'Ivoire have launched social projects to alleviate poverty and youth unemployment while building trust between the military and communities.
Barnett notes that it is essential for the state to be more than a sporadic policing force, as this often leads to perceptions of targeting or harassment by communities. Instead, addressing socioeconomic concerns and being a partner in more than just security fronts is crucial for gaining community support.