Mali is entering a new phase in its war against radical jihadist groups. Within just a few days, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has intensified its attacks against the Malian army and its strategic bases, and is now targeting
Introduction Extortion, taxation, and control over artisanal gold mining sites are the main ways that militant Islamic groups in Africa finance their operations, especially in the Sahel and portions of East and Southern Africa. [1] Key groups involved include: The JNIM (Jamaat al-Nusra al-Islam wal-Muslimeen),
Introduction For the first time, residents of the Tshopo and Haut-Uélé districts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are reporting attacks attributed to the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), a clear and worrying sign of the spread of the extremist Islamic terrorist group in the
Introduction The Sahel region of Africa is experiencing serious security issues, political instability and humanitarian catastrophes, driven mainly by violent extremism, military juntas and climate pressures. Here are a few: Burkina Faso: Captain Traoré calls Islam ‘moderate’ and condemns ‘extremists. On July 16, the head
Terrorism, human trafficking, migration, propaganda: the effects of the Sahel crisis extend far beyond Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Europe can no longer treat this region as an external arena. Bamako, the capital of Mali, is not the only target of the most recent onslaught
The security situation, reality, and its local and regional ramifications on the African continent are worse than they have ever been. Radical Islamic organizations are at their peak: Alongside a vast network of affiliates of the Islamic State (ISIS), stretching from West Africa to Central
Together with the Tuaregs of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), the jihadists of JNIM (“Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen”) are on the rise in Mali, in a remarkable position of power against a weaker military junta, and are closer than ever to taking Bamako, the country’s
On April 25, 2026, a number of military locations, including Kati, the capital Bamako, Modibo-Keïta/Sénou International Airport, Gao, Kidal, Sévaré, and Mopti, were the target of coordinated strikes by the JNIM, the independent Tuareg rebels in Mali. The Malian army claims to have regained control
The President of Niger’s Chief of Special Staff insisted that conflict with France is coming during a meeting with young people in Niamey.[1] Relations between France and Niger are tense, and there are no signs of improvement. On the contrary, a senior member of the
Download In Africa, these days, a drama is unfolding that could change the world order on the black continent, against the backdrop of what appears to be the imminent fall of a huge country to the control of an extremist Islamist terrorist organization affiliated with
Twenty-one years after its establishment in 2004, it joined the main Al-Qaeda group in Afghanistan under the moniker “Al-Qaeda in Iraq.” In 2014, due to disagreements between the top Al-Qaeda leadership and the group’s field commanders. [1] After breaking away from Al-Qaeda and establishing itself as a
The countries of Senegal, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea are all part of the huge Sahel area, which stretches 5,600 kilometres from Guinea (Conakry) on the west coast to Sudan on the east coast. This region, home to
When the world’s focus is on Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, there is a tendency to think that everything is calm in Africa in general and the Sahel in particular and that there is no bad news from there. It seems that the countries of
ISWAP (Islamic State – West Africa Province) has managed to recruit a significant number of local fighters, especially among the Lukawara tribal militia. These new human resources allow it to be even more offensive. ISWAP has understood that it is important to exist in order
In Mali, the JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin), led by Iyad Ag Ghali, who is linked to al-Qaeda, has been besieging the towns of Kayes and Nioro in the Sahel, in the southwest of the country, since September 3.[1] Passengers have been abducted, and the
Official circles in Mali’s capital, Bamako, are neither confirming nor disputing the departure of the Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group (P.M.C.) after three and a half years of presence. [1] As is well known, the Mali military junta has always denied that foreign mercenaries are
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso, accuses imperialist powers of supporting Islamic terrorist groups to maintain their influence in Africa in the face of Russian and Turkish takeovers. In an interview with the Russian media outlet Sputnik, broadcast on Radio Diffusion du Burkina (RTB)
Introduction The challenges associated with the expansion of jihadism in Africa, and especially towards the Gulf of Guinea countries, are formidable. Extremist Islamic terrorism occurs in a number of countries, including Ghana, Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Guinea-Conakry. In several of these nations, there
Introduction Terrorism is a major and immediate threat to parts of the world in general and Africa in particular, which bears the brunt of its consequences every day. Among the regions most affected by radical Islamic terrorism is the Sahel, which has become, over the
Africa remains the epicenter of global terrorism, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 59% of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. Terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security, and sustainable development across the African continent. This trend will worsen in 2025 after the withdrawal of European
A jihadist state is a social structure that operates according to strict Islamic law, Sharia. It is led by a single leader, or caliph, who combines political and religious roles. The ultimate goal is a state with an unwavering religious regime, and everything modern and
France continues to lose ground in Africa. This time, Chad turns in parallel with Sénégal. The visit of the Chadian president to France in September 2024 and his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron appear to have calmed relations between the two countries,[1] despite the opening
Abstract This paper explores the massacre in Barsalogho, Burkina Faso, on August 24, 2024, orchestrated by the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). It details how JNIM exploited civilians forced by the Burkina Faso military to dig defensive trenches, only to become
Abstract This paper examines the severe and underreported refugee crisis in Burkina Faso, as identified by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Over the past decade, Burkina Faso has been ravaged by extremist violence from groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Qaeda, and the Islamic
Abstract This paper investigates the decline of France’s colonial influence in Africa, focusing on its extensive military involvement in the Sahel from the late 2000s through operations such as Sabre, Serval, Épervier, Takuba, and Barkhane. Despite initial optimism, France’s intervention aimed at combating radical Islamic
Abstract This paper addresses the deteriorating internal security situation in Burkina Faso, attributed to escalating attacks by radical Islamic organizations across several regions. It traces the crisis’s roots to political instability following the 2014 ousting of President Blaise Compaoré and the spread of jihadist influence
Abstract This paper analyzes the dissolution of the G5 Sahel alliance, a regional cooperative framework established in 2014 to address security challenges and development policies in West Africa. The departure of Burkina Faso and Niger in 2023, following Mali’s exit in 2022, prompted the disbanding
Abstract This study examines the expanding operations of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated coalition, in central and southern Mali and northern Burkina Faso. Through detailed analysis of recent sophisticated attacks by the Macina Liberation Front (MLF), a key JNIM faction, the paper
Abstract This paper critically examines the escalating issue of violent Islamic extremism in Africa, spotlighting the significant rise in terrorist activities by groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Drawing on a July 2022 report from the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), it underscores the continent’s transformation
This analysis delves into the unfolding conflict in Mali, with a particular focus on the imminent confrontation in the city of Kidal. As the Malian army, in collaboration with the ‘Wagner Force’ militia, advances toward Kidal, this study seeks to analyze the regional implications and
This article discusses the establishment of a new political and military alliance among Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, known as the Liptako-Gourma Treaty, signed on September 16, 2023. The alliance, formed in response to common threats from radical Islamic Jihad groups and potential military intervention
Is Africa the next caliphate? Today, the question is more specific and focused: will the caliphate be established in Mali, where JNIM jihadists have laid siege to the capital, Bamako, and the United States, France, and other Western countries are advising their citizens to leave
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) is expanding its influence in Mali, endangering the city of Ménaka. The Malian government’s armed forces and al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters are absent in the region. ISGS engages in combat with government forces, killing civilians and displacing settlers from
On May 11th, 2022, the anti-IS international coalition addressed the jihadi organizations’ expanding footprint in Africa as a growing threat to world security. As a rule, the presence of jihad on the African continent has been on the rise since the early 2000s. It grew
With the end of both Operation Barkhane and the reduction of the UN mission, MINUSMA, Northern Mali, is at risk of yet another escalation of violence. As International troops draw back from the country, radical groups have started to fight each other. At the same
This article reviews Operation Barkhane, the French operation to stabilize the Sahel region of Africa. In the article, the author reviews the initial operation’s motivations, activities, and eventual conclusion. In addition to these milestones, the author also reviews how Operation Barkhane, and its accompanying successes
Ever since Muhammadu Buhari was elected President of Nigeria, he focuses his words and activities on destroying Boko Haram in order to bring peace and stability to the country and its neighbors. The president is deeply involved in a series of activities on different levels:
Summary: In their July 2021 article, Global Jihad in Africa: Risks and Challenges, the authors detailed the spread of Islamic terrorist organizations in Africa—specifically ISIS and al-Qaeda—and highlighted the challenges in contending with them. Their main conclusion was that a joint umbrella/master strategy would be
While the eyes of the world focus on Iraq and Syria to monitor the coalition forces’ progress against the Islamic State in Mosul and Al-Raqqa, the biggest democratic nation in Africa, Nigeria, records a military victory over a radical Islamic organization named Boko Haram.
It is obvious that Climate change favorized the survival of Boko Haram, chased from north-east Nigeria territories. The fact that the group is decentralized renders military operations, at all levels, more difficult, but feasible with adequate personnel and equipment. Merely a military approach will not
Since May 21st, 2021, all eyes have been focused on the elimination of Boko Haram’s leader Abu Baku Shekau. History shows us, that since 2009, Shekau has been allegedly killed four time on the battlefield. The last time, by the way, in 2016, he was
France’s strategy in the Sahel is directed at the region’s countries – partnerships in the fight against all elements of radical Islam that threatens the region. In this context, France strives to ensure the continuation of an active military partnership coupled with ensuring the ability
