West Africa and the Sahel: Terrorism is changing its face

Jihadist groups are no longer content with launching attacks in West Africa and the Sahel: they administer territories, control trade routes, exploit new technologies and are gradually pushing their influence all the way to the Gulf of Guinea. 

Faced with this change, government responses are struggling to keep up, while a timid dynamic of regional dialogue is trying to regain momentum.

Speaking before the Security Council on Tuesday, the head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, noted a constantly evolving threat. 

“The threat posed by terrorist groups and other non-State armed groups remains acute, particularly in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria, and is now rapidly targeting coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea,” he warned.

According to him, these organizations are now adapting their methods at breakneck speed. Drones, sophisticated communication tools, cryptocurrencies: their arsenal is constantly being modernised. 

Their attacks are coordinated across multiple countries, while their links with transnational criminal networks are strengthening. Their objective extends beyond purely military operations. The terrorists want to consolidate territorial and economic control while undermining public trust in government authorities.

This trend can be seen in the events of the last few months.

In Mali, a coalition comprising the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM, in Arabic), affiliated with Islamist terror group Al-Qaeda, and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched simultaneous attacks on April 25 against Bamako, Kati, Gao, Kidal, and Mopti. 

According to Mr. Simão, these offensives resulted in civilian and military casualties, including the Malian Minister of Defence. 

Fighting is now continuing in the north of the country, while the partial blockade of several roads is disrupting supplies to the capital, together with attacks on power lines.