Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

Force in Play

Actively enforcing Bamako blockade with physical checkpoints (from May 1); attacked Kenieroba Central Prison ~60km from Bamako and torched food trucks (May 6, repelled by FAMa); FLA allies holding ~130 Malian soldiers captive in Kidal; Hombori base in central Mali claimed but disputed by Africa Corps

President Assimi Goïta assumed the defence portfolio on May 4 by presidential decree, 11 days after FLA rebels and JNIM militants struck five Malian cities on April 25, 2026. His predecessor Sadio Camara was killed in a car-bomb assassination a week earlier; Goïta named Army Chief of Staff General Oumar Diarra as minister delegate.

Updated May 31

Force in Play

Dominant jihadist force in the Sahel, shifting toward economic warfare

At the peak in 2014, terrorism killed roughly 33,000 people worldwide — driven largely by the Islamic State's rapid territorial conquest across Iraq and Syria. Twelve years later, the Global Terrorism Index for 2026 reports that annual deaths have dropped 83%, to 5,582, the lowest figure since 2007. Terrorist incidents fell 22% to 2,944, and 81 countries recorded improvements.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Expanding operations across Sahel and coastal West Africa

Armed men on motorcycles attacked Niger's main airport and military air base outside Niamey on January 29, 2026, triggering a firefight that left 20 attackers dead and 4 security personnel wounded. Military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the assault, but the Islamic State – Sahel Province claimed responsibility through its Amaq News Agency, and Benin rejected the junta's allegations.

Updated May 26

Force in Play

Active in Timbuktu region, enforcing blockade

A ferry carrying rice farmers and their families struck rocks and sank near the town of Diré in Mali's Timbuktu region on January 8, 2026, killing 38 people. The captain had refused to wait until morning to dock—a decision that violated security rules prohibiting after-dark landings due to al-Qaeda-linked militant activity. When he attempted an alternate landing site, the vessel hit submerged rocks and went down.

Updated May 22