Recent developments in West Africa and the Sahel have been characterized by both volatility and democratic gains, the top United Nations official in the region told the Security Council today, warning that the latter “are not immune from reversal” and could be negatively impacted by the former.

Mohamed ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), described positive trends towards democratization, outlined in the most recent report of the Secretary-General (document S/2018/649) covering the period 1 January to 30 June. Those include the successful holding of democratic local elections in Guinea, local and municipal elections in the Gambia, and presidential, legislative and local elections in Sierra Leone, he said, also welcoming the abolition of the death penalty in Benin and Burkina Faso.

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