Sahel Violence Linked to Al-Qaida and IS Nears Record Levels

 

Sahel Violence Linked to Al-Qaida and IS Nears Record Levels
Three armed al-Shabaab fighters in Mogadishu, Somalia in 2008 – the al-Qaida-linked group is one of Africa’s deadliest. Photograph: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP


Violence involving groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State in Africa’s Sahel region is on course to reach record levels in 2026, according to data compiled by conflict monitor ACLED. The trend highlights how Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have become a major center of militant violence. Read the original Guardian report.

ACLED recorded 63 violent events involving jihadist groups across the three countries in 2016, rising to 2,845 in 2025. With 2,145 events already logged in 2026, the annual total could exceed 3,000 if current patterns continue. Source: The Guardian.

The Global Peace Index reported that terrorism has become increasingly concentrated in the Sahel. The report cited more than 9,000 deaths from security incidents across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in 2025, even as terrorism-related deaths globally declined. Read the full analysis.

In Mali, an offensive involving the al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known as JNIM, and the Azawad Liberation Front targeted strategic towns, government forces and Russian auxiliaries. The conflict has also included violence between rival armed groups, as well as reported killings by government forces and Russian mercenaries. More details from the Guardian.

JNIM has also claimed more than 130 attacks in Burkina Faso during 2026, with attacks moving closer to the capital, Ouagadougou. In Niger, the group has remained less active than Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, according to a UN report cited in the coverage. Read the source report.

Analysts caution that these groups are largely focused on local and regional control rather than planning attacks in Europe or the United States. Their growth is linked to a complex environment that includes weak governance, competition over resources, ethnic and sectarian tensions, poverty and persistent instability. Explore the original reporting.

The broader challenge is not only countering armed groups, but also improving protection for civilians and addressing the conditions that allow violence to spread. For the Sahel, security, governance, humanitarian support and local economic opportunity remain deeply connected. Source: The Guardian.

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