The number of terrorist attacks in the Sahel region "continues to increase" according to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who is on a three-state visit of West Africa.

Guterres made the remarks in the Niger's capital, Niamey, after a meeting with President Mohamed Bazoum.

He noted that the "international community must realize" that terrorism is "not just a regional or African issue, but one that threatens the whole world."

He reiterated calls for more resources to tackle the problem saying that "peace, stability and prosperity in Niger and across the Sahel remains an absolute priority for the United Nations."

Meanwhile, the former President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, agreed to a request from the African Union Chairperson and the UN chief, to lead an African Union (AU)-UN Joint Strategic Assessment on security in the Sahel, focusing on developing recommendations on how to strengthen the overall international response to the security crisis in the region.