The escalation of terrorism in the Sahel region—as evidenced in late April 2026 by the extensive terrorist offensive launched by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), against several Malian cities including its capital—fuels a messianic vision for
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
Abstract This paper aims to analyze the link between organized crime and jihadist terrorism in the Sahel area and the wider Mediterranean in the light of European intervention. To this end, several examples, case studies, and data on the phenomenon will be offered to highlight
