UNGA: Senegal Urges Global Action on Sahel Crisis

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called on the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to unite in the fight against cross-border terrorism and bolster support for West Africa, warning that “the Sahel must not be abandoned to its desolate fate.”

Addressing global leaders, Faye emphasised that stabilising the Sahel region requires an urgent, collective international response rather than leaving affected nations to face the crisis alone.

He highlighted the rising human, social, and economic costs of interconnected global threats, ranging from worsening health crises and widening economic inequality to escalating environmental hazards.

To address pressing environmental challenges, the President announced that Senegal will co-organise the third United Nations Water Conference alongside the United Arab Emirates later this year.

Faye stressed that global security depends on economic progress, asserting that “a lasting peace cannot be decoupled from development.”

He advocated for a wholesale reform of the international financial architecture, calling for sustainable debt management, equitable global taxation, improved access to concessional financing, and the full implementation of the Pact for the Future to support developing nations.

Turning to technological advancement, the president pointed to the recent launch of Senegal’s first satellite as evidence of the country’s commitment to leveraging innovation for human progress.

He reaffirmed Senegal’s belief in the transformative potential of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, provided they remain grounded in a robust ethical framework.

He urged the international community to ensure that digital tools and AI development prioritise accountability, moral responsibility, and global inclusion.