06/07/2020 – The Western Sahel region of the African continent has become an infighting battleground for jihadist groups competing for hegemony over the region. In May, Islamic State (IS) in its newspaper Al-naba revealed its clashes with Al-Qaeda affiliates. IS has blamed Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, for initiating the fierce fighting and mobilization of forces in order to wrest areas from Islamic State’s control. Continuer à lire … « Islamic State and Al-Qaeda Clash in the Sahel (By Prashant Kandpal) »
Étiquette : JNIM
France Should Give Mali Space to Negotiate with Jihadists
16/04/2020 – On March 8, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the Sahel region — Jama‘at Nusrat al-Islam wa-l-Muslimin (“The Group for Supporting Islam and Muslims” or JNIM) — released a communiqué accepting an offer by the Malian government to negotiate a peace. The jihadists set only one precondition for entering into negotiations: “Ending the racist, arrogant, French Crusader occupation.” Continuer à lire … « France Should Give Mali Space to Negotiate with Jihadists »
Chad plans military deployment to Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area
21/01/2020 – Chad’s defense minister discussed plans to deploy a battalion of military personnel to the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area with his French and Swedish counterparts on Monday, January 20, according to reports.
France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly arrived in Chad’s capital N’Djamena on Sunday to begin a two-day visit to the Sahel region accompanied by Sweden’s Minister for Defence, Peter Hultqvist, the French ministry said in a statement. Continuer à lire … « Chad plans military deployment to Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area »
Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership praises jihadists in Mali and Somalia
20/01/2020 – Al-Qaeda’s senior management, or general command, has released a two-page statement praising the jihadists in Mali and Somalia. Al-Qaeda has strong branches in both East and West Africa, and the international organization’s leaders signal their approval for the jihadists’ ongoing wars in the new missive.
“Salutations for the Defenders of Islam in Mali” was released online on Jan. 18, with al-Qaeda’s propagandists making both Arabic and English versions available on various websites and social media channels. Continuer à lire … « Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership praises jihadists in Mali and Somalia »
France is Arming its Drones to Target Islamist Terrorists in Sahel
20/12/2019 – France is fighting terrorists in the African Sahel region where Islamist violence has been on the rise this year. France has already lost 38 service members in Mali, the country hit most by violence, since 2013 – and a third of those soldiers died in a helicopter accident during an anti-terror raid last month.
Continuer à lire … « France is Arming its Drones to Target Islamist Terrorists in Sahel »
Burkina Faso: Jihadists’ Ethnic Strategy and the Koglweogo Problem
18/12/2019 – The Sahel has quickly become an epicenter of terrorism, with the once relatively stable Burkina Faso on the verge of replacing Mali as a focal point of jihadist violence. Instability from the prolonged conflict in Libya has been emanating into Mali and beyond since the fall of Ghaddafi in 2011 and the subsequent influx of weapons and fighters. Continuer à lire … « Burkina Faso: Jihadists’ Ethnic Strategy and the Koglweogo Problem »
Mali: Nothing Religious, Just Business
13/10/2019 – Mali continues to be the most dangerous UN peacekeeping operation with over 200 dead so far. This is largely due to northern Mali, where most of these deaths occur. There was lots of violence up there since (and before) the peacekeepers arrived in early 2013. The peacekeepers are mainly African and in 2018 the combined forces suffered a death rate of about 130 per 100,000 per year (a standard measure of such things.) The rate in 2017 was nearly double that and that high rate seems to be returning in 2019. A lot of the violence has moved south to central Mali. Continuer à lire … « Mali: Nothing Religious, Just Business »
Burkina Faso: Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s New Sanctuary
by Giorgio Cafiero and Daniel Wagner
For many years, violent extremists have exploited the impoverished and lawless Sahel region of Africa. Salafist-jihadist militias have frequently transited through the region’s porous borders, easily taking advantage of local grievances to establish a presence in countries such as Mali and Niger. Consequently, there have been countless terrorist attacks throughout West Africa, including a high-profile attack by al-Qaeda’s North Africa branch against the Ivory Coast’s Grand Bassam in 2016. Continuer à lire … « Burkina Faso: Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s New Sanctuary »
Two leaders of Malian al Qaeda affiliate put on U.S. terrorism list #Mali
16/07/2019 – The United States added two leaders of al Qaeda’s affiliate in Mali to its global terrorism list on Tuesday, accusing them of engaging in destabilizing attacks across the West African country, the U.S. Treasury said. Continuer à lire … « Two leaders of Malian al Qaeda affiliate put on U.S. terrorism list #Mali »
Mali needs comprehensive strategy to prevent violence and human rights abuses, says Independent Expert
2019/13/02 – The human rights situation in Mali is a cause of grave concern as security and humanitarian conditions in central and northern areas continue to worsen, says UN Independent Expert Alioune Tine.
“The combination of violence across communal lines, coupled with the violence of armed extremist group operations, the anti-terrorist operations of the Malian and international defence and security forces, and organized crime create a deep sense of fear and insecurity,” said Mr. Tine presenting a statement at the end of a fact-finding visit. Continuer à lire … « Mali needs comprehensive strategy to prevent violence and human rights abuses, says Independent Expert »
Sahel-Elite (Bamako-Mali) 