North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Nigeria: More than 160 people killed in Muslim communities in Kwara State
More than 160 people were killed in predominantly Muslim farming communities in Kwara State, Nigeria, after villagers reportedly refused to accept an extremist group’s strict religious rule.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Sahel: French Special Forces Accused of Direct Role in Benin Coup Response
Testimony from Benin’s Republican Guard commander that French special forces were flown in from Abidjan during a failed coup has prompted French lawmakers to question whether the operation should have been treated as an external deployment requiring parliamentary notification and whether it exceeded the legal bounds of existing defense agreements.
Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling
Niger’s military authorities have authorized the removal and transport of uranium from the SOMAÏR mine at Arlit without the involvement of longtime operator Orano, prompting the French nuclear group to denounce the shipment as illegal and in breach of a September 2025 World Bank–linked arbitration ruling. While Niamey signals plans to sell the stock on the open market as an assertion of resource sovereignty, the move raises legal, safety, and security concerns as uranium travels by road through conflict‑affected Sahel corridors.
Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
Mariam Cissé, a prominent content creator from Tonka, Mali, was abducted and publicly executed by armed militants in the Goundam district of the Timbuktu region. Her killing, believed to be linked to videos she posted about armed activity in local markets, has drawn widespread shock online and underscored the dangers facing civilians and public figures in militant-controlled parts of northern Mali.
Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
A string of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali—including the abduction of five Indian technicians and an Emirati businessman—highlights the increasing risks for foreign workers engaged in energy, mining, and infrastructure projects. The evolving tactics of armed groups and complex negotiation processes have led companies to overhaul security protocols and adjust operations to cope with persistent threats.
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Both men have risen to power through armed force and human rights abuses, commanding personal militias that operate outside legal state structures. They secure their authority through violence, control over territory and resources, and a readiness to suppress opposition through fear and brute force. A profile of Sudan’s Hemedti.
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Defense ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met in Niamey to accelerate their joint military alliance, but no deployment date was confirmed. France is advising nationals to leave Mali “temporarily” amid deteriorating security, while international shipping companies hesitate to continue cargo routes. November 7 brought reports of multiple attacks by insurgents, further highlighting the region’s instability.
Mali’s Energy Collapse Deepens as Fuel Blockade and Infrastructure Decay Converge
Mali is sinking deeper into darkness as power outages, crumbling roads, and fuel shortages combine into a nationwide crisis. Months of blackouts and blocked fuel imports by jihadist fighters have crippled transport, trade, and daily life, exposing years of neglect in energy and infrastructure management.
Mali: Bamako Strikes Back as JNIM Expands Its Rule
Mali’s military launched air raids in Ségou just days after jihadists announced new sharia‑based restrictions and widened their blockade. The standoff now defines who controls the roads, fuel, and daily life in central Mali.
Sahel: Three Sahel States Join Forces in Northern Mali Offensive
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—linking Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has entered a new phase of joint military coordination as shared drone operations and intelligence networks converge on militant strongholds across Mali’s northeast.
Africa: New Warning of Evolving Hybrid Threats Linking Terrorism, Crime, and Climate Pressures Across Africa
Mauritania is warning that Africa’s security landscape is shifting from ideological insurgencies to profit-driven “religious-front criminal enterprises,” describing how jihadist networks have merged with organized crime.
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Bloody Sunday: The indiscriminate killing of Muslim and Catholic worshipers in Burkina Faso
Sunday, 25 February was a bloody day for religious groups in Burkina Faso. Two attacks against a church and a mosque confirm the utter instability of the northern and eastern regions of the country. In Essakane-village, in the northeastern Burkina Faso, a terrorist...
Niger: Two soldiers killed in insurgent attack in Diffa
Mali: Katiba Mecina insurgents raid military camp in Niono, repelled
Sahel: Wagner Group and Mali army engaging in mass murder and forced displacement of northern populations
The Wagner Group is wracking havoc in northern Mali, with actions that hint on ongoing efforts to depopulate the region. Human rights abuses against local population are being committed by both the Malian national army and its Russian contractors from the Wagner...
Sahel: 29 Niger soldiers killed by suspected jihadists
Twenty-nine soldiers were killed in western Niger in an attack by suspected jihadists, the defence ministry said on Monday night, declaring a three-day national mourning period. The soldiers were targeted using "improvised explosive devices and kamikaze vehicles by...
Sahel: Suspected GSIM militants attack boat on the Niger River in Mali
A passenger boat on the Niger River in northern Mali was attacked on Thursday by suspected jihadists, the Malian army said on social media. "At around 11:00 am (1100 GMT), armed terrorist groups... attacked a Comanav boat" in the Gourma-Rharous area, it said,...
Sahel: Dozens dead in clash in north Burkina Faso
The general staff of the Burkina Faso military said 53 people died in Koumbri, near Ouahigouya in the north of the country on 4 September, when the 12th commando infantry regiment was deployed to secure the resettlement of populations who have left the area for more...
Sahel: Gunmen kill dozen civilians in Niger’s Tillaberi region
Gunmen have attacked two villages in Niger's vast Tillaberi border region, killing a dozen people working in the fields, security and local sources told AFP on Friday. "There were 12 deaths following the attack on Thursday afternoon by armed men," a municipal official...
Sahel: Niger-French troops arrest two alleged IS fighters
Two leading jihadists from the Islamic State's Sahel affiliate have been arrested in a joint operation by Niger and French forces, a senior security source said Monday. The two members of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) were captured in western Niger on...
Burkina Faso: Attackers kill civilians in the Sahel Province
An armed attack in northern Burkina Faso, an area plagued by jihadist violence, has left about 10 civilians dead, security and local sources told AFP on Thursday. A large group of armed men descended on the village of Sampelga, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the...