UK (Washington Insider) - The UK condemned coups in Guinea-Bissau and Benin at the UN Security Council; Jennifer MacNaughtan supported ECOWAS, urged constitutional rule, and warned that 12.1 million people in the Sahel need aid by 2026.
As Tosin Oyediran reported on Punch, the United Kingdom has condemned the recent military coup in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin, saying both events threaten democratic rule in West Africa. The criticism was made public in a statement released on Friday, Dec 19, 2025, after a United Nations Security Council meeting on West Africa and the Sahel.
Speaking at the meeting, UK Minister Counsellor Jennifer MacNaughtan said Britain strongly opposes any takeover of power by force. She said such actions weaken democratic institutions, undermine the rule of law, and increase instability in a region already facing political and security pressures.
"The UK strongly condemns the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin: UK statement at the UN Security Council."
What is driving instability in West Africa?
In Guinea-Bissau, the coup followed disputed elections that led to the removal of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, raising fresh concerns about the country’s fragile political system and repeated military вмеш вмешments in civilian rule.
In Benin, a group of soldiers briefly announced a takeover, but the move was quickly blocked by forces with support from regional partners, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Although the attempt failed, the UK said it showed a growing strain on democratic systems across West Africa, including in countries once seen as stable.
"These actions undermine democratic governance across the region. We urge a swift return to constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, the publication of official election results, and the immediate release of political prisoners."We commend the mediation efforts of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as their leadership."
Jennifer MacNaughtan delivered the UK statement on December 18, 2025, during a United Nations Security Council meeting on West Africa and the Sahel. She said regional cooperation remains vital to addressing security threats across the region. MacNaughtan said close coordination is needed to counter terrorism and cross-border violence.
MacNaughtan also highlighted the growing humanitarian crisis in the central Sahel. She said the UK remains deeply concerned about conditions in the region, where conflict and displacement continue to drive urgent needs.
According to estimates cited in her remarks, about 12.1 million people are expected to require emergency assistance in 2026. She said many communities face food shortages, limited healthcare, and reduced access to basic services, increasing pressure on already vulnerable populations.
"Terrorist attacks, organised crime, and climate change continue to destabilise communities and weaken national governance. "Regional coordination is critical, and we welcome the work towards a regional standby force and efforts to build on the ECOWAS Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We commend too the increased engagement between ECOWAS and the AES.”
Concluding her remarks, MacNaughtan said the United Kingdom will continue to support efforts aimed at building peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel. She said Britain remains committed to the work of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, or UNOWAS, as well as regional organisations.
"As reflected in the Secretary-General's report, access challenges and bureaucratic impediments continue to undermine the timely and efficient delivery of life-saving assistance. "We urge all efforts to ensure rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need."
In recent years, the nations located within West Africa and the Sahel region are experiencing increasing levels of political and social instability due to an increase in the number of coups and coup attempts occurring in the region. Since the military coup in August 2020, Mali has experienced two military coups (the most recent in May 2021), as well as the military coups in July 2023 against the governments of Burkina Faso and Niger.
The nation of Guinea-Bissau has a history of gaining independence from Portugal in September of 1974 with a long history of military involvement in the political affairs of the country and a long history of coups and civil unrest; in fact, there was an attempted coup in that country in February 2022. The nation of Benin has remained relatively stable since it regained its democratic government in the early 1990s; therefore, it has seldom been threatened with a military coup.
Along with this increasing number of coups in West Africa and the Sahel region has come an increase in insecurity in the central Sahel region due to a spike in the number of attacks on civilians by armed groups, subsequent mass population displacements caused by military operations, as well as food shortages, which were highlighted by the United Nations in their 2024 and 2025 reports.