68,933+ people killed[i] 46,859+ killed (2023—present) 3 million displaced[38]
Awar in the Sahel region ofWest Africa has been ongoing since the 2011Arab Spring. In particular, the intensive conflict in the three countries ofMali,Niger andBurkina Faso has been referred to as theSahel War.
The conflict in Nigeria also reached a climax beforea 2015 coalition offensive forced insurgents into remission. By 2019, the effects of the region-wide conflict began to accelerate as popular rage over the government ineffectiveness led to a series of coups inMali,Burkina Faso,Niger,Sudan,Chad andGuinea, which became known as a 'coup belt'.
Amid theAlgerian Civil War in the late 1990s, militants from the radical IslamistArmed Islamic Group (GIA) established connections with drug traffickers in Mali, Niger, Mauritania, and southern Algeria in order to establish supply lines and logistical support.[40][41] However, the GIA did not establish themselves as a militant group in the Sahel until 2003.Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the commander of theSalafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in southern Algeria, the GIA's successor, was on the losing side of an Algerian army offensive in the early 2000s. In December 2002, after an ambush nearIn Salah that killed several of his men, Belmokhtar crossed the Algerian border and settled in Mali.[42] He reachedLerneb, near the Mauritanian border, and formed an alliance with theBerabich by marrying a daughter of the influential Hamaha family of the Oulad Idriss chiefdom. Belmokhtar enriched his in-laws through raids and preaching, and his in-laws protected him and gave him a local base. Other jihadists likeNabil Abou Alqama followed Belmokhtar's example. The Malian government did not react to these developments to not anger the jihadists.[42][43]
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb insurgency (2003–2011)
The first kidnappings of Western nationals began in 2003. In February and March that year, 32 tourists, mostly Germans and Austrians, were kidnapped byAbderreza El Para, who had fled to Mali. Some hostages were freed by Algerian forces, but the remainder were under Belmokhtar's control.[42] Malian officials sent two notables,Iyad Ag Ghaly andBaba Ould Cheikh, to negotiate for the hostages. The hostages were released on August 18 for a ransom of 5 million euros.[42] Para was arrested by Chadian authorities shortly after the hostage-taking.[44]
On June 4, 2005, in response to a series of arrests of jihadists and Mauritanian Islamists by Mauritanian officials and the announced participation of Mauritanian troops in American army exercises in the Sahel, the GSPC attacked Mauritanian troops atLemgheity, killing 17 soldiers and taking 35 prisoner.[45] While the attack was the start of the GSPC insurgency in Mauritania, it was more notable for the comment made byAbu Musab al-Zarqawi congratulating the Maghrebi mujahideen.[42] This led to a warming of relations betweenAl-Qaeda and the GSPC, withAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb being formed in January 2007.
In the summer of 2007,Abdelmalek Droukdel, head of the GSPC/AQIM, deemed Belmokhtar as too independent and removed him as "emir of the Sahara", a position he gave toYahia Djouadi.[46] Droukdel split the Sahara zone in two; the first, comprising southwest Algeria and northern Mali and Mauritania fell under Belmokhtar's control. The second, comprising northeastern Mali, Niger, and western Chad, went toAbou Zeid.[47] Belmokhtar opposed this decision and formed a new katiba, starting a rivalry between him and Abou Zeid.[47]
Meanwhile, clashes between Mauritanian forces and AQIM continued through 2008. The killing of five French tourists near Aleg, Mauritania in late December 2007 led to the cancellation of the 2008Dakar Rally. Twelve Mauritanian soldiers were also found decapitated by AQIM nearTourine.[48] The accession ofMohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in 2009 changed the situation; utilizing French and American support, the Mauritanian military was overhauled and restructured, forming a locally-driven counter-insurgency strategy.[49] Under Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian forces curbed AQIM attacks and even entered Malian territory to ambush the jihadists. By the end of 2011, Mauritania and AQIM were under a non-aggression pact.[50]
Tuareg leaders, in the 1990s and 2000s, began forming connections with prominent Arab drug traffickers in central Mali, particularly around the cities of Gao and Timbuktu.[51][52] The first drug trafficked through Mali washashish, but expanded to cocaine by the 2000s.[51] Tuareg youth would join the organized crime routes as smugglers and handlers, and in return receive good payment, a rarity in the impoverished north.[53] TheAir Cocaine scandal in 2009 broadcast media attention on the crisis, after a plane filled with 11 tons of cocaine crashed in the Malian desert.[54]
At the start of theMali War in 2012, these drug kingpins began collaborating with Tuareg arms smugglers to funnel the rebels' and jihadists' efforts to capture territory.[55] This included AQIM and it's allies, Ansar Dine and MUJAO, with civilians and soldiers alike reporting that the jihadist groups had copious access to cocaine and other drugs, along with the jihadist groups escorting drug convoys across the desert.[52]
In early 2011, as part of theArab Spring, Libyan protesters rose up against the dictatorMuammar Gaddafi, who responded with brutal suppression of the protests. Many protesters took up guns and following a several-month long civil war, overthrew Gaddafi's government and killed him.[56] Many Malian and Nigerien soldiers of Gaddafi's formerIslamic Legion fought with pro-Gaddafi forces during the civil war, but fled to their home countries following the rebels' victory. These soldiers were predominantly Tuareg or Sahelien Arab groups like Bella, all minorities in their home countries.[57][58]
In returning to their home countries, the former soldiers came back to a shaky peace inKidal Region andMénaka Region, where Malian Tuaregs held positions of local authority in the army as part of peace deals following theTuareg rebellion of 2007–2009. Despite low-level violence occurring by Tuareg separatist militias continuing until 2011, the majority of battle-hardened Tuareg leaders likeIyad Ag Ghaly had defected to the Malian Army in exchange for authority and promises of economic development in the rural Kidal Region.[59]
With Libya having given these Tuareg rebels a safe haven prior to their civil war, many rebels and Islamic Legion soldiers alike held an allegiance to a Tuareg identity over a Malian one, even if they were in the Malian army.[60] Coming back to a region in 2011 that the Malian government had continued to neglect, along with new pipelines to weapons and supply chains from the former Libyan government, many Tuaregs were ready to revolt again.[58]
In late 2011,Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, an irredentist Tuareg militia leader who was one of the last hold-outs of the 2006–2009 war, founded theNational Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), which drew a support base from all Tuareg clans.[61] The MNLA sought independence for a Tuareg state namedAzawad located in northern Mali. This state, in practice, would include many non-Tuareg groups like the Songhai, Fulani, Bella, Arabs, and different clans of Tuareg.[61] Many of these groups had collaborated with the Tuaregs or the Malian government depending on what was more advantageous for their community, with the Songhai most notably forming the self-defense militiasGanda Koy andGanda Iso to fight alongside the government during the 1990s Tuareg rebellion.[61] Bahanga's goal with the MNLA was to unite all Tuaregs under one organization in order to avoid fragmentation as had happened before.[61]
Bahanga largely succeeded with his unification until 2012, when Ansar Dine was formed byIyad Ag Ghaly. Ghaly's goal was to form a state in Mali under a strict interpretation ofsharia law. Ansar Dine immediately sapped many Ifoghas Tuaregs, the dominant clan in Kidal Region and Ghaly's clan, from the MNLA.[62][61] Ansar Dine received support from AQIM and another jihadist group,Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), that had split off from AQIM in late 2011.[62]
The MNLA and jihadist alliance overran many cities and Malian bases in a surprise offensive in January 2012. By the end of January, the cities ofTessalit,Aguelhok,Andéramboukane,Léré, andMénaka had been captured by the rebel alliance. In the first week of February, the MNLA capturedTinzaouaten and began fighting forKidal.[63] Discontent grew in Bamako by March, when the towns ofDiré,Goundam, andNiafunké came under MNLA control, often without fighting.[64]Jeremy Keenan said in 2012 regarding the MNLA-jihadist alliance, "What seems to happen is that when they move into a town, the MNLA take out the military base—not that there's much resistance—and Iyad [ag Aghaly] goes into town and puts up his flag and starts bossing everyone around about sharia law."[65]
Despite the coup,Kidal fell on March 30 andGao one day later.[67] The fall of Gao was the start of public disputes between the MNLA and the jihadist groups, as there were conflicting reports of who actually controlled the town. As with other cities, the MNLA entered both cities but jihadist groups took up the administrative control. In Kidal, that was Ansar Dine; in Gao, it was both MUJAO and Ansar Dine.[68]
Timbuktu andDouentza fell in the first week of April, and the MNLA declared Azawadi independence on April 6.[69] With the seizure of Douentza, the MNLA ceased fighting and said that all of Azawadi territory was liberated.[70] This directly contradicted Ansar Dine's goals, with the group seeking to spread Sharia across all of Mali and past it's borders.[62][71] Immediately after the declaration of Azawadi independence, several Tuareg groups sprung up against the MNLA, with theArab Movement of Azawad (MAA) forming a pro-government and pro-rebel faction on April 8.[72]
After failed negotiations between the MNLA and Ansar Dine in May, anti-MNLA protests began in Gao supported by MOJWA and Ansar Dine. Clashes broke out between the two groups, and the jihadist allianceseized power after a short battle.[73] By August, the MNLA was forced out of every major city they had taken, and Ghaly was declared emir of the new Azawadi Islamic state.[74]
The jihadist alliance began imposing strict interpretations of Sharia in the territories it controlled, destroying many mausolea of theWorld Heritage Site of Timbuktu and meting out harsh punishments like public executions to people who defied Sharia.[75][76] The imposition of brutal punishments and Sharia law was considered by analysts a reason for the subsequent collapse of the Islamic Azawadi state—Droukdel even admitted his own commanders' rushed implementation was the reason for their collapse.[77]
By January 2013, Islamist forces advanced to 600 km from the capital and were closing in to capture the major town ofMopti.[78][29] The MNLA began peace talks to realign with the Malian government while the French military launchedOpération Serval on January 11, intervening in the conflict.[79] The furthest that the jihadist coalition was able to advance wasKonna, being defeated at theBattle of Konna, one of the most significant events of the war.[80]
The new Malian government underDioncounda Traoré requested the French support to repel the jihadist invasion, and additionally allowed in theEuropean Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) and the UN-ledAfrican-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA).[81] Within a week of the French intervention that began on January 11, the jihadist offensive had been halted and reversed. French air raids wiped out jihadist strongholds in theAdrar des Ifoghas mountains, and helped Malian troops recapture every major northern city.[82]
Another part of the reason why the jihadist alliance collapsed so quickly was because of Belmokhtar's failed hostage crisis at an oil facility inIn Amenas in southern Algeria in January 2013, where 800 people were taken hostage by AQIM.[77] The expansion of the conflict to Algeria, combined with the southward offensive occurring at the same time, provoked France and international governments to respond quickly.[77]
Targeted airstrikes wiped out jihadist leadership throughout 2013 and 2014. Abou Zeid was killed in February 2014, and smaller local commanders likeHaroun Ag Said,Omar Ould Hamaha,Abu Bakr al-Nasr,Ahmed al-Tilemsi, andAbdallah al-Chinguetti were all targeted and assassinated.[77] In 2013, French, Malian Tuareg, and Chadian troops launched an operation in the Ifoghas mountains, destroying the last AQIM base and effectively ending their permanent territorial control.[82] Operation Serval ended in July 2014, with the French government beginningOperation Barkhane and the United Nations foundingMINUSMA to ensure long-term stability in the Sahel.[83][84]
Despite being effectively defeated with over a third of their manpower killed across all groups, jihadist organizations—particularlarlyMUJAO in Gao—made great advances in recruiting from the Fulani and Songhai community in the area, with MUJAO sympathizers launching attacks on the city after Mali regained control in 2013 and 2014.[82][77] Hardline Islamist survivors of Operation Serval fled to Libya to aid theIslamic State – Libya Province and the various al-Qaeda-aligned Libyan rebel groups likeAnsar al-Sharia in their own conquests.[77] Islamist militants from places like Niger and Burkina Faso found it easy to flee across the porous borders into their home countries, withIbrahim Malam Dicko notably using his war experience in Ansar Dine to later expand jihadism into Burkina Faso.[85]
The MNLA, on the other hand, offered a hesitant hand to Malian and French authorities in the aftermath of Serval.[77] Many Tuaregs had flocked from Ansar Dine to the MNLA and other secular Tuareg organizations in the hope of maintaining autonomy for northern Mali.[82] France prevented southern Malian troops from taking part in the recapture of Tuareg cities like Menaka and Kidal, and left that to the pro-government Tuareg commanderEl Hadj Ag Gamou, the MNLA (in Kidal), and Chadians.[82]
While negotiations and agreements were put in place for Tuareg autonomy with the2015 Algiers Accords, these agreements were not upheld and neither side wanted to risk a new war with one another. As such, Kidal remained de facto in MNLA hands until 2023, and secular Tuareg movements and the Malian government did not explicitly clash until that same year.[86][87]
The transition to Operation Barkhane from Serval included French ultimata for the Malian government to democratize and hold elections. These elections, held in 2013, launchedIbrahim Boubacar Keïta to the presidency and initially, relations were good between Tuaregs and the Malian government, France and Mali, and Mali and other nations.[82] Serval also expanded to Burkina Faso and Niger, with troop deployments increasing in those countries.[88] TheTakuba Task Force andAmerican troops also participated in regional security operations against jihadists.[89]
Since before the start of the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, the Malian borders with Niger and Burkina Faso were extremely porous. Communities that lived along the border often treated it like it did not exist.[90] No Sahelian country had the manpower and resources to adequately control their borders outside of a few major border towns.[90] Tuareg rebel leaders often fled back and forth between the Malian and Nigerien borders to evade capture during the 2006–2009 rebellions.[91] During the Malian retreat from the north in the initial stages of the 2012 rebellion, Malian colonelEl Hadj Ag Gamou and his troops fled towardsNiamey across the Malian-Nigerien border.[92]
Additionally, a large number of foreign fighters from across the Sahel flocked to join the Islamist half of the Tuareg rebellion in 2012 and 2013. The most notable group was a small group ofBoko Haram andAnsaru militants that fought alongside MUJAO in Gao.[93] When Operation Serval decimated the rebellion, these foreign fighters fled back home with their war experience, like Dicko. Between 2013 and 2017, several attacks occurred across West Africa by small cells of al-Qaeda-aligned militants, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire and Ouagadougou in 2016.[94]
In the wake of the French intervention, an ethnic Fulani preacher namedAmadou Koufa began growing in followers for his oratory skills and calls for revolution among the Fulani caste system.[95] The Fulani are a nomadic and staunchly conservative ethnic group in southern and central Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and other parts of West Africa. TheMassina Empire, based in what is now central Mali, was an Islamic caliphate ruled by Fulani for over 400 years.[96] In the decolonization period, many Fulani were marginalized and oppressed by West African nations due to their nomadic lifestyle, with their widespread populace making them a minority almost everywhere.[97] Koufa rose to power through his radio and in-person sermons preaching hardline interpretations aligned with al-Qaeda theology.[95] He mixed this with calls for a revolution against both the Malian state and the upper echelons of the Fulani social hierarchy, attracting many young Fulani across the Sahel.[98]
Niger faces jihadist insurgencies both in its western regions (as a result of the spill-over of the Mali War) and in its southeastern region (as a result of the spill-over of the Islamic insurgency in Nigeria). The insurgency in the west of the country began with incursions in 2015 and intensified from 2017 onwards. Since 2021, attacks were carried out with greater frequency in the country.[99][100][101]
The insurgency in the Sahel spread to Burkina Faso in 2015, beginning with an attack on a gendarme by allegedBoko Haram members.[102][103] In 2016, the amount of attacks spiked after a new group,Ansarul Islam, was founded byimamIbrahim Malam Dicko.[104][105]
Since 2021, the insurgency in Burkina Faso has begun to spread to neighboring countries of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Togo. On 8 February 2022, insurgentsattacked the W National Park inBenin, killing nine people. On 11 May 2022, militants crossed the border intoTogo and killed eight soldiers.[106]
In 2024 Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali formed a confederation called theAlliance of Sahel States.[112] On 21 January 2025, they decided to create a joint armed force of 5,000 soldiers to fight regional jihadism in the Sahel.[113]
Having cooperated and trained alongside AQIM in the Sahel since 2006, the Nigerian Islamist groupBoko Haram began expanding into Chad and Niger in 2014 after successfully seizing territory in theinsurgency in Nigeria.[114] By then controlling a significant area aroundLake Chad, a coalition of Western African countrieslaunched an offensive against the group in January 2015.[115] The group eventually ended its alliance with al-Qaeda, pledging allegiance to ISIL in March 2015. By the end of 2015 Boko Haram had been largely pushed to retreat into theSambisa Forest in Nigeria, although attacks have continued including in Niger.[116][117]
December 11 – French troops in Mali killed top Islamist commanderAhmed al Tilemsi. Tilemsi was a founding member of Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA) and held a $5 million bounty.[118]
January 15 – Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attacked the Cappuccino restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in the heart ofOuagadougou, the capital ofBurkina Faso. The number of fatalities reached 30,[122][123][124] while at least 56 were wounded; a total of 176 hostages were released[125][126] after a government counter-attack into the next morning as the siege ended. Three perpetrators were also killed.[127] The nearby YIBI hotel was then under siege, where another attacker was killed. Notably, former Swiss MPsJean-Noël Rey and Georgie Lamon were killed. Responsibility for the attack was claimed byAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) andAl-Mourabitoun.
February 5 – A UN base inMali was attacked by unknown Islamists.[128]
February 11 – Suspected Islamist militants killed two civilians and a customs officer and burned a car in an attack on a customs post inMopti, central Mali.[129]
February 12 – Five UN peacekeepers killed inKidal, Mali and over at least 30 wounded, from an insurgent attack.[130]
February 23 – Gunmen attacked a checkpoint southwest of the Malian town ofTimbuktu overnight killing three soldiers and wounding two others.[132]
March 1 – It is reported that France special forces conducted two separated raids killing a Spanish AQIM commander, Abu al Nour al Andalusi, and two fighters ofAl-Mourabitoun.[133]
March 6 –Ansar Dine claims four attacks across Mali, detonating three UN vehicles inKidal,Tesslitnear,Aguelhok and an attack on a UN camp in Kidal with rockets, meanwhile defense ministers from West Africa's semi-aridSahel region have agreed to work together to establish special rapid reaction force, named theG5 Sahel, to counter the growing threat from al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked militants.[134][135]
March 10 – Warring Tuareg clans in northern Mali have agreed to cease hostilities after tit-for-tat violence killed dozens of people from the start of the year.[136]
March 15 – AQIM branch said its attack in theIvory Coast onMarch 13 that killed 18 people was revenge for the FranceOperation Barkhane against Islamist militants in the Sahel region and called for its forces to withdraw.[140] Also, Ivory Coast has raised its security alert to the highest level and PresidentAlassane Ouattara has pledged that the country would not be "intimidated by terrorists" following the attack ofMarch 13 that killed 18 people.[141]
March 16 – The French government said it will deploy a paramilitary police force in the capital ofBurkina Faso to react quickly in the event of new attacks by Islamist militants in West Africa, after the Ivory Coast attack by AQIM.[142]
March 19 – Three policemen were shot dead by AQIM soldiers in a Niger village near the border with Burkina Faso. One soldier was killed and two others wounded when a military convoy was attacked close to Nigeria's border byBoko Haram fighters.[143]
March 22 – AQIM attacked aEuropean Union military training mission's headquarters in the Malian capital, Bamako, which left an insurgent dead.[144][145] On the same day, theIvory Coast arrested the suspected leader and other 15 militants of the AQIM group that conducted the beach attacks ofMarch 13. The man is named Kounta Dallah.[146][147]
March 23 – 21 AQIM suspects were captured by the Malian police in response to their attack on an EU base in Bamako.[148]
March 27 – Two AQIM fighters were arrested in Mali over Ivory Coast resort attack.[149]
April 9 – Ansar Dine claimed two bombings on the Aguelhok-Tessalit axis just north of the city of Kidal.[150]
April 10 – Gunmen ambushed a Malian military patrol outside of Timbuktu near the town of Gourma, injuring three soldiers.[150]
April 12 – Three French soldiers were killed by anIED in northern Mali. Also, another two Malian soldiers and one Chadian were killed by land mines.[150][151]
April 22 – Malian police captured the AQIM mastermind of the terrorist attacks ofNovember 2015 in Radisson blu hotel in Bamako. The man identified as a Mauritanian by the name of Fawaz Ould Ahmeida.[152]
July 31 – In Timbuktu, northern Mali, a captain of the Malian army was killed by four AQIM members[153]
September 2 – In Markoye,Burkina Faso killed ISIS members one border guard and a civilian.[154]
September 9 – 3 Malian troops were killed after suspected AQIM fighters ambushed them in the centre of the country.[155]
September 26 – InTimbuktu,Mali a military guard and his cousin were killed in their house by terrorists.[156]
October 3 – One Blue helmet was killed and eight others were injured in an attack on their base inAguelhok, Mali. AQIM claimed the attack[157][158]
October 6 – The Malian refugee camp Tazalit in the Tasara region was attacked by forty assailants, presumably AQIM. Twenty people were killed (all site security forces). One refugee was injured.[159]
October 9 – One of the main Tuareg leaders of Mali, Cheikh Ag Awssa, military head of the High Council of Azawad (HCUA, French acronym), died Saturday when the vehicle he was traveling with his son stepped on a mine, reported today the Coordinator movements of Azawad (CMA).[160]
October 12 – Burkina Faso's defense ministry says heavily armed assailants have attacked a military position in the north near the Mali border, killing three soldiers and wounding another. ISIS claims responsibility for the attack.[161][162]
October 14 – An American aid worker has been kidnapped in a town northeast of Niger's capital Niamey, before being taken by his abductors to Mali, according to a security source. Armed men raided the house of the aid worker on Friday, killing his two guards before driving him off across the desert, the mayor of the town of Abalak said on Saturday.[163][164]
November 3 – A peacekeeper was killed and five others were injured when militants attacked a military base. After the shooting, a bomb exploded, killing one soldier and injuring dozens more.AQIM claims the attack.[165]
November 4 – A French soldier was killed and four others injured after that their truck exploded because of a land mine in the north ofKidal. Ansar Dine claimed the attack.[166]
November 5 – Anal-Qaeda-linked group has released a video showing the purported execution of two Malians accused of collaborating with French counter-terrorism forces in Mali.[166]
November 6:
A convoy ofMINUSMA was attacked in the center of Mali, about 25 km north of the town ofDouentza. The convoy hit a mine or an IED and the assailants are then out of hiding by opening fire. One peacekeeper died, seven others were wounded.Ansar Dine claimed the attack.[167]
A Togolese peacekeeper was killed along with two civilians when the convoy was attacked in Gourma,Mali. AQIM claims the attack.[168]
Militants raided in a prison and freeing 21 prisoners. They also kidnapped a guard inBanamba,Mali.Ansar Dine claims the attack[170]
November 11–12 – InGao,Mali have one of the positions of the Malian army was targeted by terrorists on motorcycle. Two soldiers were injured. Al-Mourabitoun claims the attack.[171]
November 13:
Militants attacked a military checkpoint, in Gao, Mali killing one soldier and injuring other two.[172]
Two people were killed in two attacks inDjibo.[173]
December 6 –Al-Qaeda militants attacked a prison inNiono,Mali. Two guards were injured. Dozens of prisoners have escaped.[174]
December 16 –2016 Nassoumbou attack: Several dozen heavily armed gunmen attacked an army outpost near the border with Mali, leaving at least 12 soldiers dead and 2 others missing.[175]
December 22 – Six gunmen on motorcycles attacked Saye's military soldier in Mali and shot the gendarmes on the scene, one soldier was killed and several were wounded.[176]
December 24 – A Frenchwoman was abducted in the city of Gao.[177]
January 2 – One person was killed and another was injured in two separate shooting attacks inDjibo,Burkina Faso.[178]
January 12 – Five Malian soldiers were killed and two others injured when their patrol hit a landmine inMali's Segou region.[179]
January 18 –2017 Gao bombing: Five suicide bombers exploded near aNATO army base inGao, Mali. At least 65 people were killed while an unknown number of people were injured. There were no reported casualties among the NATO troops.[180][181]Al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility.[182]
January 24 – A peacekeeper inMali was killed and two other peacekeepers were injured in mortar fire inAguelhok.Al-Qaeda is suspected for the attack.[citation needed]
January 30 – Two civilians were injured in a terrorist attack inMadougou,Mali.[183]
February 4 – Four soldiers were killed and eight others were injured in a terrorist attack in Ménaka of Mali.[184]
February 5 – Four Chadian soldiers were killed in a bomb attack.[185]
February 27 – Two police stations inTongomayel andBaraboulé were attacked overnight by suspected jihadists. TheAnsar ul Islam militant group, which has links to theAnsar Dine extremist movement in Mali, said it staged the attacks.[186]
March 3 –Ansar ul Islam militants on motorbikes killed two people including a school director.[187]
March 5 – Eleven soldiers were killed and four others were injured in an attack on a position of theMalian Army close to the border withBurkina Faso.[188]
March 6 – At least five Nigerien gendarmes were killed in the night during a likely terrorist attack in theTillabéri Region.[189]
March 11 – The muezzin of a mosque was found butchered by a suspected jihadist in Ivory Coast.[190]
March 13 – Two Malian soldiers and two Malian civilians were killed in a shooting attack.[citation needed]
April 6 – A French soldier was killed in the Sahel region,Mali after a clash with armed militants.[192]
April 9 – Five people were killed in an attack carried out by militants in Gargando, Mali.[193]
April 18:
Two soldiers and one civilian were injured during an attack against theirUN convoy in Mali.[194]
Four Malian soldiers were killed when terrorists attacked their base. Sixteen other soldiers were also injured.[194]
May 3 – 3 rockets struck the MINUSMA Super Camp at Timbuktu Airport around leaving 1 peacekeeper dead and 9 wounded.[195]
May 14 – In Mali four members of the Red Cross have been abducted. The local helpers were on the road in Ténenkou in the central region of Mopti on Sunday to assess the humanitarian situation there.[citation needed]
May 23 – Two peacekeepers of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed and another injured on Tuesday morning in an ambush in the northern Kidal region.[196]
January 27 – At least 14 Malian soldiers have been killed and 18 others wounded in an AQIM attack during which fighters briefly took control of a military camp in Soumpi, Timbuktu region. They retreated later. Two terrorists were also killed.[198]
May 16 – 28 Nigerien soldiers are ambushed and killed while patrolling near the Mali border.[204]
June 14 – AnAérospatiale Gazelle operated by theFrench Army Light Aviation was damaged by 7.62 mm machinegun fire and had to make an emergency landing in the town of Liptako but was then destroyed to stop it falling into enemy hands.[205]
July 1 – At least 18 soldiers were killed and another four were missing in action when two suicide car bombers attacked a Nigerien army outpost around the town ofInates before attempting to storm the camp. TheIslamic State in the Greater Sahara is suspected of responsibility. Niger's capitalNiamey is expected to host theAfrican Union summit on July 7 and 8.[206]
July 11 – Ten UN peacekeepers were wounded by a roadside mine nearKidal, northern Mali.[207]
July 22 – Six Estonians and "around the same number" of French soldiers were wounded when suicide bombers struck a French military base inGao.[208]
August 21 – Twenty-four soldiers of Burkina Faso's army were killed in an attack on a military base in the country's north.[209] Five soldiers were ambushed and killed by militants in central Mali, near the towns ofHombori andBoni.[210]
August 29 – Three soldiers were killed and another seven wounded inKoro, Mali, after being attacked by militants. At least one attacker was killed.[211]
September 3 – A bomb planted in a bus exploded inMopti, Mali, killing 20 civilians and wounding 15 more.[212]
September 8 – A food convoy and a transport truck wereattacked by militants in two different incidents in northern Burkina Faso, killing at least 29 people in total.[213]
September 9 – Six Burkinabe police officers were ambushed and killed by suspected jihadists in Soum Province.[214]
September 19 – Five soldiers were killed and two were wounded in an overnight attack by unknown gunmen against a military patrol.[215]
September 23 – Nine people were killed after terrorists opened fire on a group of people in two locations near Bourzanga.[216]
September 25 – Six civilians were shot dead after armed militants stormed three villages in the city of Zimtenga.[217]
September 28 – Nine people were killed after terrorists stormed the village of Komsilga, while seven others were killed during another attack in Deneon. Later, a soldier was shot dead.[218]
September 30 – Attacks on two military posts inMopti Region, Mali, left 38 soldiers dead and more than 60 others missing, while the posts themselves were destroyed. The attack was one of the worst to hit Mali's military in years. At least 15 militants were reportedly killed in the attack.[219]
October 1 – Six civilians were killed by militants in a camp for displaced people in Kangro, Burkina Faso.[220]
October 4 –Dolmane gold mine attack: About 20 people were killed inSoum, Burkina Faso, when militants attacked a gold mining site. Meanwhile, it was estimated that the surge of Islamist violence in Burkina Faso forced more than 300,000 people to flee the north of the country, while 2,000 schools were closed.[221]
October 6 – A roadside bomb exploded as a vehicle containing UN peacekeepers passed by, killing one of the peacekeepers and injuring four others. The bombing occurred inAguelhok in northern Mali. A soldier was shot and wounded in a related incident.[222]
October 7 – Militants clashed with the Nigerien military in a valley inDogondoutchi, leaving two soldiers dead and five more wounded.[223]
October 11 –Burkina Faso mosque attack: Armed men assaulted the Grand Mosque in Salmossi, northern Burkina Faso, killing 16 people and critically injuring two more.[224]
October 12 – Militants killed five officers inSanam, in Niger'sTillaberi region.[225]
October 19 – Simultaneous attacks in northern Burkina Faso (inLoroum Province andYatenga Province) left four soldiers and a police officer dead while another 11 soldiers were wounded.[226]
October 28 –Pobé Mengao shooting: Militants killed 16 civilians inPobe Mengao, Burkina Faso, when the civilians refused to supply the armed Islamists with ammunition.[227]
November 1 –2019 Indelimane attack: An attack on a Malian army base in Indelimane, in the country's north and near the border with Niger, left 53 soldiers and a civilian dead. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara claimed responsibility for the attack, the worst in years.[228]
November 2 – The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara claimed responsibility for the death in Mali of a French soldier whose vehicle passed by an IED, which exploded. France confirmed the death.[229]
November 4 – An MP and deputy mayor was killed in Burkina Faso'sSahel Region by a roadside IED. Two others in his vehicle also died, while a fourth survived.[230]
November 6 – At least 37 people were killed and 60 more injured when militants attacked a gold mining convoy in Burkina Faso'sEst Region. Although previous attacks in Burkina Faso were blamed on Al Qaeda groups, this attack bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State.[231]
November 18 – At least 30 Malian soldiers were killed and 23 more wounded when they were attacked by militants in the Gao region. The Malian military claimed at least 17 militants were also killed.[232]
November 22 – The bodies of 13 more Malian soldiers were found after the November 18 attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The bodies were found in Tabankort and Infokaritene.[233]
November 25 – Thirteen French soldiers were killed when two helicopters collided with each other in the middle of an operation against militants in northern Mali. The accident was the worst loss for a European country in the Sahel since the beginning of anti-terrorism operations in 2013.[234]
December 9 – Three soldiers and 14 militants were killed when insurgents attacked an army post in Agando, in westernTahoua, Niger.[236]
December 10 – At least 71 soldiers were killed, 30 more were missing, and at least 12 were wounded when militants staged amassive attack on a military base inInates, near the border with Mali. The attack was the deadliest single incident Niger's military has ever experienced.[236]
December 21 – French PresidentEmmanuel Macron announced that 33 militants were "neutralized" in a French military operation in central Mali, while also releasing two Malian gendarmes held hostage inMopti. A militant was also arrested by the French soldiers.[237]
December 23 – France said it killed seven insurgents in Mopti, Mali, in its first-ever drone strike.[238]
December 24 – Insurgentskilled seven soldiers and 35 people, mostly women, during a raid on a military outpost in Soum Province, Burkina Faso. The authorities claimed at least 80 militants were killed in the raid.[239] Prior to the attack, Burkina security forces said they had killed about 100 fighters in several operations since November.[240]
December 25 – Eleven soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by militants in Hallele, Soum Province, Burkina Faso. At least five of the insurgents were also killed.[241] Meanwhile, in southwest Niger, 14 security personnel were killed and another was missing after their convoy was attacked by gunmen inSanam.[242]
January 4 – Fourteen civilians were killed and four more were seriously injured when a roadside bomb exploded near their bus inSourou Province, Burkina Faso. Many of the casualties were children returning from holidays.[243]
January 6 – Five soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in theAlatona region of Mali.[244]
January 9 – At least 25 soldiers were killed when a large group of militantsstormed a military base in Chinegodrar, Tillaberi, Niger. The Defense Ministry of Niger said more than 63 "terrorists" were killed during the battle.[245] Meanwhile, a rocket attack on a base in Kidal region, Mali, wounded 20 people, including 18 UN peacekeepers.[246]
January 11 – The number of soldiers killed in the Chinegodrar attack in Niger two days ago rose to 89 from 25. The number of militants killed also rose to 77 from 63.[247]
January 20 – Insurgents killed 36 civilians during an attack on villages inSanmatenga Province, northern Burkina Faso.[248]
January 21 – Two soldiers were killed by an IED inMopti, Mali.[249]
January 23 – At least six soldiers were killed by militants inDioungani, Mali.[249]
January 25 – Insurgents killed 39 civilians in Soum Province, northern Burkina Faso.[250]
January 26 – At least 20 soldiers were killed by militants during an attack on a military outpost inSegou Region, Mali. Five more were wounded. Residents reported that the fighting lasted only two hours, and that the well-armed insurgents had quickly surrounded and raided the base before withdrawing, taking captured supplies and dead comrades with them.[251][252]
February 2 – France announced it would deploy 600 more soldiers to the Sahel to fight the deteriorating security situation in the region, bringing the total up to 5,100 troops from 4,500.[253]
February 3 – Insurgents killed at least 18 civilians inBani Department, northern Burkina Faso.[250]
February 6 – InTillaberi, Niger, four gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on workers in a village, killing four people[254]
February 7 – French forces killed 30 insurgents in theGourma andLiptako regions of Mali in the past two days.[255]
February 13 – Troops returned toKidal, northern Mali, following a six-year absence, after former Tuareg rebels allowed them into the city.[256]
February 14 – At least 31 people were killed when armed men stormed the central Mali village of Ogossagou. Several members of a quick reaction force sent by MINUSMA to the village during the attack were wounded. On the same day, eight soldiers were killed and four more injured in an ambush in central Gao region, while a soldier was killed in an attack on a military camp inMondoro.[256]
February 16 – Gunmen killed 24 people and wounded 18 more in an attack on a church inYagha province, northern Burkina Faso. Last week, a pastor was killed and another abducted in the same province.[257]
February 17 – A French soldier died in unspecified circumstances in Burkina Faso.[258]
February 27 – The African Union announced the deployment of an anti-terrorism force of 3,000 soldiers in the Sahel to combat the rising insecurity there.[259]
March 8 – At least 43 people were killed during an attack on two Fulani villages inYatenga Province, northern Burkina Faso. The perpetrators were likely militiamen that blame the Fulani people for harboring extremist groups in the country.[260]
March 13 – An Italian man and a Canadian woman were released in Kidal, Mali, after being kidnapped by a militant group Burkina Faso in December 2018.[261]
March 19 – Militants attacked an army base inTarkint, Gao Province, northern Mali, killing at least 29 soldiers and leaving five more wounded.[262]
March 25 – The MalianURD opposition leaderSoumaila Cisse was abducted along with six others nearNiafunké, central Mali. The abductors killed his bodyguard and wounded two more.[263]
March 29 – Nine people were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine in central Mali.[264]
March 30 – Three soldiers were killed and another three were wounded when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in central Mali.[264]
April 6 – At least 25 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base inBamba, northern Mali.[265]
April 9 – PresidentIdriss Déby of Chad said his country's troops will no longer engage in military operations abroad in order to focus on fighting militants and rebels at home. Chad is part ofMNJTF, which focuses onfighting extremists in the Lake Chad region, and theG5 Sahel force, which focuses on fighting extremists in theSahel region. Thousands of Chadian soldiers will withdraw from bases in Niger, Mali and Nigeria by April 22.[266]
April 10 – Security forces allegedly executed 31 unarmedFulani people hours after arresting them inDjibo, northern Burkina Faso.[267]
May 1 – AFrench Foreign Legion soldier died of his injuries after being wounded last week by an IED explosion on his tank in Mali.[268]
May 10 – At least 20 people were killed by gunmen in theTillaberi region of southwest Niger.[269] Meanwhile, three Chadian soldiers were killed and four more seriously wounded when their convoy hit a roadside bomb in Aguelhok, northern Mali.[270]
May 11 – A clash between the Burkinabe military and armed militants inYagha Province left eight soldiers and 20 militants dead.[271]
May 27 – Ethnic clashes between Fulani herdsmen and Dogon tribesmen in central Mali left 27 civilians dead.[272]
May 28 – An attack on a rebel camp in a province in northern Burkina Faso left 10 militants and one soldier dead, according to reports.[273]
May 29 – An attack on a trading convoy inLoroum Province, northern Burkina Faso, left at least 15 people dead and several more wounded.[273]
May 30 – An aid convoy was attacked by militants near Barsalogho, northern Burkina Faso, leaving at least five civilians and five gendarmes dead.[274]
May 31 – Militants attacked a market in Kompienbiga, Burkina Faso, killing around 30 people before fleeing on motorbikes.[275] Meanwhile, in theTahoua Region of western Niger, about 50 gunmen stormed the Intikane refugee camp, killing at least three camp officials and destroying parts of the camp before fleeing.[276]
June 3 – The French army and local partners killedAbdelmalek Droukdel, the leader of AQIM, along with some of his associates during an operation in northern Mali. The French also stated that they were holding an ISGA leader who was captured in Mali on May 19.[277] Meanwhile, an attack on the Fulani village of Niangassadiou in Mopti region, Mali, left 14 villagers dead.[278]
June 5 – An attack on the Fulani village of Binedama in Mopti region, Mali, left 29 villagers dead and the village burned down.[278]
June 11 – Militants in Burkina Faso attacked an Ivory Coast border post, killing 10 soldiers and wounding six more, while one militant was killed. The attack was the first on the country since the2016 Grand-Bassam shootings.[279]
June 12 – Two UN peacekeepers were killed during an attack on their convoy between Tessalit and Gao in Mali's north.[280]
June 14 – An ambush of a convoy near Bouka Were, central Mali, left "dozens" of soldiers killed or missing. At least 24 were confirmed dead while another 12 remain missing.[281]
June 24 – Armed men abducted 10 aid workers distributing food in a village in the Tillaberi region of southwest Niger.[282]
July 1 – At least 32 civilians were killed when they were shot at by gunmen on motorbikes in an attack on four ethnic Dogon villages in central Mali's Mopti region.[283]
July 2 – Soldiers investigating the massacre yesterday in Mali's Mopti region were themselves attacked, leaving nine soldiers dead and two more wounded.[284]
July 6 – Five soldiers, a town mayor, and two "trackers" were killed when militants ambushed a convoy escortingPensa town hall members, northern Burkina Faso. Three others also went missing.[285]
July 8 – AHuman Rights Watch report claimed that at least 180 recently deceased corpses were found in mass graves inDjibo, northern Burkina Faso, with the watch group alleging they were killed by government forces.[286]
July 16 – At least 12 Dogon villagers were killed in central Mali when they were attacked by gunmen on motorcycles.[287]
July 20 – Two soldiers were killed and five more were wounded in an attack by militants on a Burkina Faso town inKomondjari Province.[288]
July 23 – A French soldier was killed during a firefight in Mali after he stepped on an explosive.[289]
August 2 – Twin attacks inSégou Region, central Mali, left five soldiers dead.[290]
August 7 – About 20 people were killed by militants duringan attack on a cattle market inFada N'Gourma, eastern Burkina Faso.[291]
August 9 – Six French aidworkers and two Nigerien volunteers were killed when they were attacked by militants nearKouré, in southwest Niger.[292]
September 4 – An ambush on a troop convoy left 10 Malian soldiers dead inNara, Mali.[293]
September 5 – Two French soldiers were killed and a third was injured when their vehicle was hit by an IED in Tessalit Province, Mali.[294]
September 26 – Six militia fighters were killed when jihadists attack them in Burkina.[295]
October 8 – 25 men were killed in Burkina Faso when unknown attackers attacked their refugee convoy separating them from the women and children and executing them.[296]
October 13 – 25 people including 13 soldiers when Jihadists attacked and burned down a military base in Mali then ambushed the reinforcements sent to the base.[297]
October 16 – 20 people were killed in a jihadist attack on three villages in Burkina Faso.[298]
November 12 – 14 soldiers were killed in an ambush along Tinakof-Beldiabe road in Oudalan province, Burkina Faso.[299]
December 28 – three French soldiers were killed when an IED hit their armored vehicle in Mopti province, Mali.[300]
January 2 –2021 Niger attacks: 105 people were killed and 75 injured in Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye villages in Tillabéri Region in Niger in a suspected Islamist attack.[301]
January 2 – Two French soldiers were killed and another injured when their AFV hit an IED in Menaka, Mali.[302]
January 3 – Militants held a wedding hostage in Central Mali, but an airstrike was conducted on the wedding killing 20 people and leaving 27 missing.[303]
January 5 – Six people were killed after 100 gunmen attacked the town of Loumbila, Burkina Faso. The insurgents stole food and motorbikes and burned several buildings.[304]
January 13 – Four Ivorian soldiers were killed and five others wounded by an ambush conducted by armed militants.[305]
February 3 – Nine Malian troops were killed and six wounded in an ambush near the village of Boni in Mali.[306]
March 16 –2021 Niger attacks: 58 people were killed in Niger when armed militants attacked four vehicles carrying people that had just visited a local market at two nearby villages.[307]
March 21 – ISIL militants attacked a Malian army post killing at least 33 Malian soldiers.[308]
March 21 –2021 Tahoua attacks: 141 people were killed by gunmen in Niger after series of attacks near the border with Mali. This has been called Niger's deadliest jihadist massacre.[309][310][311]
April 3 – ISIL militants attacked a Niger army camp close to the border with Nigeria. 5 Nigerien soldiers were killed and many more were wounded. Six soldiers were also killed when an IED was activated against Nigerien reinforcements that arrived after the exchange of gunfire.[312]
April 15 – Two Chadian soldiers were killed after being targeted by gunfire near the Mali-Niger border.[313]
April 27 – ISIL claimed an ambush on a group of Malian soldiers in the Ansongo region. At least 3 Malian soldiers were killed in the attack.[319]
May 1 – A Jihadist ambush on a military patrol in the Tahoua region left 16 Nigerien soldiers dead, six injured, and one missing.[311]
May 3 –Kodyel attack: jihadists attacked the village of Kodyel, Burkina Faso, killing 30 and injuring 20.[320]
May 4 – ISIL claim responsibility for an ambush on the Malian Azawad Liberation Movement militia, leaving 18 of the militiamen dead.[321]
May 22 –2021 Niger attacks: ISIL attacked a Nigerien police headquarters on the Chetimari-Maine-Soroa road, about 40 km west of Diffa, near the Nigeria-Niger border, killing a policeman.[322]
June 8 – ISIL released photos of them executing 5 Christians somewhere on the Mali-Niger border.[323] In the same release, they also showed a photo of them executing an alleged spy.[324]
June 22 – Unknown assailants ambushed a police convoy en route to Yirgou in northern Burkina Faso, killing at least 11 police officers and leaving four others missing.[325]
June 25 – A car bomb injured 13UN peacekeepers stationed in a temporary base near the village of Ichagara in theGao Region of Mali. At least six Malian soldiers were killed in a separate attack in the nearbyMopti Region.[326]
July 12 – Ten people were killed in northern Burkina Faso, 7 of them members of a civilian defense force, and the other 3 were civilians. It is suspected that jihadists carried out the attack.[327]
August 6 – 30 people, including 15 soldiers, were killed in several suspected jihadist attacks in northern Burkina Faso.[328]
August 9 – More than 40 civilians were killed by jihadists in separate attacks in the villages of Karou, Ouatagouna and Daoutegeft in northern Mali.[329] On the same day, 15 civilians were killed during a jihadist attack in Banibangou region. 33 civilians were killed in the same area two weeks prior.[330]
August 12 – 17 Jihadists and 5 defense volunteers were killed in an attack in Bilakoka, northern Burkina Faso.[331]
September 24 – AFrench soldier was killed in an armed clash with insurgents in Mali, close to the Burkina Faso border. The gunman was also killed.[332]
October 7 – 16 Malian soldiers were killed in a Jihadist attack in central Mali.[333]
October 13 – A French soldier was killed following an accident that occurred during a maintenance operation in Timbuktu.[334]
October 20 –British soldiers killed two suspected ISIS fighters after they came under fire whilst conducting a UN Peacekeeping mission on the road between Indelimone andMénaka.[335]
November 27 – ThreeBurkina Faso soldiers were killed in a Jihadist attack near the southern Ivorian border.[336]
November 5 –2021 Adab-Dab attack: At least 69 people, including the town mayor, were killed in a Jihadist attack on the village of Adab-dab in western Niger. Local sources say that members of theISGS launched the attack on Nigerien defence forces in the area.[337]
November 15 – 32 people, including 28 military police officers and 4 civilians were killed in an armed attack on a gendarmerie post in north Burkina Faso.[338]
September 5 –Silgadji bus bombing: At least 35 civilians were killed and 37 wounded following a suspected jihadist attack when a vehicle in the escorted supply convoy, heading toOuagadougou, hit an improvised explosive device (IED) on the main road, between the northern towns ofDjibo andBourzanga, in the north of Burkina Faso.[341]
September 26 – Eleven soldiers were killed and 50 civilians are missing following a suspected jihadist ambush in the northern town ofDjibo in the Gaskinde area ofSoum Province of Burkina Faso. The attack also left 28 wounded, including 20 soldiers, 1 Volunteer for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) and 7 civilians.[342]
January 29 – Fifteen men were found dead inCascades Region after armed men stopped two transport vehicles carrying 24 people.[343]
January 30 – Fourteen people were killed, including 10 soldiers, two volunteer fighters and a civilian, in an attack on a unit inFalagountou.[343]
February 1 – At least 15 Nigerian pilgrims were killed in Burkina Faso on their way to Senegal after their bus convoy was attacked by gunmen.[344]
February 7 – A checkpoint inNara, Mali was attacked by suspected jihadists, leaving two police officers and agendarme dead.[345]
February 11 – An ambush in theTillabéri region of Niger kills 10 soldiers and leaves 29 more missing or wounded.[346]
February 17 – An ambush by the Islamic State against a Burkinabe army convoy in theOudalan region of Burkina Faso leaves 54-plus soldiers dead, dozens of others wounded, and 5 others captured.[347]
March 5 –Nouakchott prison break: FourAQMI members escaped from the Nouakchott civil prison, killing guards and leading to a state of emergency in the surrounding area.
April 16 – Six Burkinabe soldiers and 34 members of a volunteer defense group were killed and an additional 33 were wounded after an attack in the village of Aorema, located in theNord region of Burkina Faso.[349]
April 22 – A bomb attack near a military camp inSévare, Mali killed 10 people and injured 61 others.[350]
April 28 – 33 soldiers were killed and 12 more were wounded from an attack on a military base in eastern Burkina Faso.[351]
June 2 – Two people were killed after jihadists attacked a food convoy in theLoroum province. Two military units that were escorting the convoy attacked back, killing at least 50 jihadists.[353]
June 5 – Suspected jihadists kill 21 people inSawenga, Burkina Faso. At least 14 of the dead were members of theVDP.[354]
June 9 – One U.N. Peacekeeper was killed and another 8 were injured after they were attacked by an IED and then fired at in Mali'sTombouctou region.[355]
June 27 – A supply convoy that was escorted by military personnel was ambushed by suspected jihadists while returning fromDjibo. At least 34 soldiers were killed.[356]
August 3 – 16 Malian soldiers were killed in a jihadist attack in theMénaka region near Niger. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.[362][363]
August 7 – Around 20 people were killed and over a dozen were injured in a suspected jihadist attack in theCentre-Est region in Burkina Faso.[364]
August 10 –ECOWAS orders the activation and deployment of a regional standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.[365]
August 13 – Armed jihadists killed 6 Malian soldiers in northern Mali.[366]
August 16 – 17 Nigerien soldiers were killed and 20 more were injured in an ambush by suspected jihadists near the town of Koutougou.[367]
August 18 – 23 people were killed by gunmen and 12 more were wounded in the village of Yarou in central Mali.[368][369]
August 20 – 12 Nigerien soldiers were killed in a suspected jihadist ambush in theTillabéri Region.[370]
September 2 – Four members of the VDP and a policeman were killed by jihadists in Silmiougou, Burkina Faso.[371]
September 7 –September 2023 Mali attacks: 64 people, including 49 civilians and 15 soldiers, were killed in a 'complex' jihadist attack at a Malian military base inGao.[373]
September 12 – At least 10 Malian soldiers were killed and 13 were wounded in an attack by a rebel group in northern Mali.[374]
September 14 – 8 people were killed, 10 were injured, and several more were missing after jihadists attacked a camp inWendou, Burkina Faso.[375]
September 22 – Five people were killed and multiple others were injured after a mortar attack in Timbuktu.[376][377]
September 28 –2023 Burkina Faso coup d'état attempt: Burkina Faso's military junta claimed that the country's intelligence and security services have foiled a coup attempt.[378] Four people have been arrested and two others are on the run for their alleged involvement.[379]
September 29 – 12 Nigerien soldiers were killed; 7 during combat and 5 after a road accident while attempting to respond to the attack, and another 7 were injured in an attack in southwestern Niger. Hundreds of jihadists participated in the attack, which took place in the town ofKandadji. Niger's defense minister claimed that over 100 jihadists were killed in a counteroffensive.[380][381]
September 30 – ThePermanent Strategic Framework, a coalition of mainly Tuareg separatist groups, claimed to have killed 81 Malian soldiers in the center of the country. They also claimed to have wounded dozens more, taken five as prisoners, while losing seven of their own fighters. The claims have not been confirmed.[382]
October 2 –2023 Tabatol attack: At least 29 Nigerien soldiers were killed after being attacked by jihadists in western Niger, near the Malian border. Over 100 militants participated in the attack, who used IEDs and "kamikaze vehicles". Two more soldiers were left seriously wounded and several dozen jihadists were killed.[383]
October 15 – Six Nigerien soldiers were killed and 18 were injured in a clash between Niger's armed forces and "terrorist elements" in the town ofTéra. 31 terrorists were also killed.[385]
October 27 – AMINUSMA convoy was attacked while withdrawing peacekeepers from Mali, resulting in four truck drivers being wounded.[386]
November 1 – A UN convoy was attacked by an IED after leaving its camp inKidal, Mali, injuring eight peacekeepers.[387]
November 3 – Seven UN peacekeepers were injured after a convoy was hit by IEDs.[388]
November 4 – 22 UN peacekeepers were injured after their convoy encountered two IEDs.[389]
November 5 – At least 70 people were killed in the Burkinabè village ofZaongo by unknown assailants.[390]
November 7:
At leas14 people, including children, the deputy mayor and a local councillor, were killed after a series of strikes on the town of Kidal perpetrated by theMalian Armed Forces.[391][392]
About 40Dogon people were kidnapped after ambushes on several public transport buses traveling betweenKoro andBankass by suspected Islamic extremists. The women were later released. About 30 men remain hostage.[393]
Unidentified gunmen killed a journalist and kidnapped two others on the Gao–Asongo road.[394]
November 18 – Fifteen people, including three army auxiliaries, were killed in simultaneous attacks inDiapaga, Burkina Faso.[395]
November 26 –Battle of Djibo:JNIM fighters carried out a "major" attack on a military base, targeting an army detachment in Djibo. Burkina Faso claimed that they inflicted "heavy losses" on the attackers, while some soldiers were killed. They also attacked homes and camps in the city, killing at least 40 civilians and injuring 42.[396] The Burkina Faso Information Agency stated that the attacks were an attempt to seize Djibo, in which 3,000 criminals participated in. They added that around 400 of them were "destroyed" during a counter-offensive by the country's Armed Forces.[397]
November 28 – Mali announced that they started several investigations against leaders of various ethnic separatist and jihadist groups for terrorism and money laundering. Among those under investigation areIyag Ag Ghaly, and six other leaders of Tuareg rebel groups.[398]
December 1 – Daouda Diallo, a human rights defender in Burkina Faso, was abducted by unknown individuals in the country's capital. The abductors were dressed in civilian clothing, and captured Diallo as he tried to enter his car.[399]
December 3 – The Malian army claimed that it repelled jihadist attacks against four localities in northern Mali.[400]
December 12:
Around 30 soldiers and five civilians were killed in twin attacks in Mali'sSégou Region. Militants stormed the village of Farabougou and attacked a nearby military camp. Some residents in Farabougou were kidnapped, and the camp was burned down by the attackers.[401]
Three people were killed and another was injured from an IED explosion inBankass, Mali.[402]
December 13 – JNIM leaderIyad Ag Ghaly published a video warning about a "new phase of Jihad" and urged local residents to fight against the juntas of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and theWagner Group.[403]
December 24:
GSIM fighters launched an attack on the Solle detachment, killing around 60 Burkinabé soldiers. The soldiers were able to repel the attacks.[404]
A gendarmerie base inGorgadji was attacked by several terrorists on motorbikes.[404]
December 29 – A Nigerien soldier was killed and an additional five were wounded when their vehicle drove over a land mine inOuro Gueladjo.[405]
December 30 – Several civilians and soldiers were killed during an attack on a military base inNouna.[404]
December 31 – Niger's defense ministry announced that 11 people were killed in weekend attacks on the villages of Amara and Loudji.[405]
January 5 – An unknown number of civilians were killed while Niger's army conducted airstrikes against terrorists as they attempted to attack a military post in Tyawa.[406]
January 28 – 22 people were killed during a suspected jihadist attack onMotogatta, Niger.[407]
February 25:
Islamic State militants killed 15 people and injured two others in a Catholic church in Essakane village, Burkina Faso.[408]
Several dozen people were killed, including an important religious figure, when armed individuals (most likely affiliated with JNIM) attacked a mosque in Natiaboani, Burkina Faso. Soldiers and members of the VDP were also targeted by the attackers.[409]
March 22 –2024 Tillabéri attack: A Nigerien military unit was attacked by over 100 militants between Teguey and Bankilare in the Tillabéri Region. 23 soldiers were killed and 17 more were wounded, while at least 30 attackers were killed.[411]
March 31 –Tawori attack [fr]: JNIM militants attacked a Burkinabe army detachment in Tawori, killing 73 including 32 civilians.[412]
April 30 – Malian authorities announced the killing of senior Islamic State commanderAbu Huzeifa, who was linked to theTongo Tongo ambush.[413]
May 1 – A suspected JNIM improvised explosive device bombing nearArbinda, Burkina Faso killed one civilian and injured four others.[414]
May 22 – Hundreds of JNIM militants attacked aVDP base andinternally displaced persons' camp that housed around 3,500 people inGougré, Burkina Faso, killing eight VDP fighters and 72 civilians and injuring 40 others.[414]
June 11:
JNIM claimed responsibility for an attack on a military post inMansila that they said killed 107 Burkinabe soldiers.[415]
At least 20 civilians were killed and many were displaced after suspected JNIM militants attacked Sindo, Burkina Faso. They also looted shops and stole livestock.[414]
June 18 – JNIM fighters with tree branches attacked five women returning to Sindo.[414]
June 30 – Suspected JNIM militants killed at least two civilians in the Niamana inHauts-Bassins Region, Burkina Faso after previously attacking civilians and armed personnel in the village.[414]
July 27 – JNIM claimed that it ambushed soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries fleeing theBattle of Tinzaouaten, killing ten Malians and 50 Russians.[416][417]
August 24 –2024 Barsalogho attack: JNIM militants killed at least 400 people during an attack against soldiers and civilians digging trenches in Barsalogho, Burkina Faso.[418]
August 25 – Militants killed at least 26 people in an attack on a church inNouna, Burkina Faso.[419]
September 17 –2024 Bamako attacks: JNIM conducted a major attack against Malian military sites inBamako, claiming that it killed and injured hundreds of soldiers. Malian TV acknowledged "some" deaths.[420][421]
September 18 – Niger announced that 12 soldiers were killed and 30 others were injured in several attacks throughout the week.[422]
November 21 – At least six Wagner Group fighters were killed in an ambush on a convoy in theMopti Region claimed by JNIM.[423]
December 12 – 10 Nigerien soldiers are killed in western Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso.[424]
December 14 – At least thirty-nine villagers were killed in two massacres in villages near the border with Burkina Faso.[425]
December 20 – Suspected jihadist attacks on six villages in theBandiagara region of central Mali killed at least 20 people.[426]
December 26 – The force of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) kills Moussa Himma Diallo, number 2 of the Katiba Serma, "a formidable terrorist" in the Serma sector, Douentza region, in central Mali.[427]
December 28 – 21 terrorists were killed by the Malian army, 1 Malian soldier was killed, 3 other soldiers were injured and 2 civilians were also injured.[427]
January 2 – Five Burkina Faso soldiers were killed in an attack in the Gnangdin area, near the border with Togo and Ghana.[428]
January 6 – At least 30 terrorist militants are killed, and one soldier injured, in the Mobti region of Mali.[429]
January 9 – 28Beninese soldiers werekilled in a jihadist attack on an army position near the Benin-Niger border.[430]
February 7 – A jihadist attack targeted a convoy of 19 vehicles carrying mostly miners and traders nearKobe, Mali, killing 34 civilians and injuring 34 others. An unknown number of Malian soldiers were also killed, and the Malian army announced that it recovered 19 bodies belonging to the attackers.[431][432]
February 12 – JNIM killed two in an armed assault inYatenga Province of Burkina Faso.[433]
February 14 –Katiba Macina, a jihadist group with links to al-Qaeda, reportedly conducted a rocket attack on the convoy of Malian Minister of Higher EducationBourema Kansaye inNiéna. An ensuing shootout injured four police officers.[434]
March 2 – Nine gunmen and a Beninese soldier were killed in clashes in the commune ofKarimama, northern Benin.[435]
March 2 – 11Nigerien soldiers were killed in a jihadist ambush close to the border withAlgeria.[436]
March 10–11 – TheHuman Rights Watch reported that Burkinabe government and allied forces massacred at least 58Fulani civilians, including two children, inSolenzo, apparently in response to their alleged support for Islamist militants.[437][438] The HRW later increased the death toll to over 130.[439]
March 14 – Hundreds of militants attacked a police station inYamba, eastern Burkina Faso, killing up to 16 police officers and volunteers and injuring several others.[440]
March 15 – Several civilians were killed in an attack inFoutouri.[440]
March 21 – Gunmen killed 44 people and injured 13 others in a mosque inKokorou. The Nigerien defense ministry accused ISGS of carrying out the attack.[441][442]
March 29 – A suspected jihadist attack on an army detachment fromDiapaga killed dozens of Burkinabe soldiers and civilian auxiliaries and wounded at least 30 others.[443]
April 1 – JNIM killed at least 13 civilians inLanfiéra after abducting men from their homes.[439]
April 5 – Hundreds of JNIM fighters launched a coordinated attack on the Burkinabe villages of Gonon, Mara, and Tiao, gathering men into one location before shooting them. At least 100 people were killed.[439]
April 17 – At least 54 Beninese soldiers stationed inW National Park were killed in an attack claimed by JNIM, marking the deadliest such incident since jihadists began operating in northern Benin.[444][445]
April 25 – A Nigerien military unit was ambushed by militants north ofSakoira, resulting in the death of twelve soldiers. Two attackers were arrested.[446]
April 26 – 19 people were killed after gunmen raided a gold mine in the state of Zamfara, Nigeria.[447]
April 30 – 15 Nigerian civilians were killed after ISWAP militants stormed Kwaple village, near the town of Chibok, Nigera.[448]
May 4 – 11Nigerian soldiers were killed after ISWAP raided a military base in the town of Buni Gari, Yobe state, Nigeria.[449]
May 11 – Hundreds of JNIM fighters attacked an army base, police station, and market inDjibo, killing dozens of soldiers and civilians.[450] JNIM later claimed that it killed 200 soldiers.[451]
May 12:
JNIM launched an attack onDiapaga, attacking a military post, destroying monuments, setting fires to businesses, and freeing inmates from a prison.[452]
Suspected JNIM fighters attacked a Chinese-owned shop inNarena, kidnapping two Chinese citizens. They later attacked a nearbyartisanalgold panning site, killing a Malian and two Ghanaians.[453]
May 13 – JNIM claimed responsibility for an attack on a Burkinabe army post in Sole,Loroum Province, that it said killed 60 soldiers.SITE Intelligence Group also reported that ten VDP fighters were killed in an undated attack inGnagna Province.[450]
May 14 – Four Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ISWAP raid on a Nigerian military base in northeastern Nigeria.[454]
May 17 – The Malian Army was accused of carrying out a massacre after at least 20 civilians were shot dead in a mass execution in the village of Mamba near Diafarabe.[455]
May 24 – at least 29 people were killed after a group of armed 'bandits' attacked two villages in Northeastern Nigeria.[456]
June 1 – JNIM attacked a military base housing 280 soldiers inBoulkessi, Mali, killing at least 60 and injuring 40 others. A military source stated that all of the survivors were captured.[457]
June 2 – JNIM claimed that it attacked Wagner mercenaries and a military airport inTimbuktu. The Malian army claimed that it repelled the attack, killing 14 militants and arresting 31.[458]
2 June – At least 20 civilians were killed in aNigerian airstrike in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria.[459]
June 5 – At least 50 gunmen on motorcycles attacked a military post inMahou, Mali, killing five people and injured around ten others.[460]
June 6 – The Wagner Group announced that it would withdraw from Mali, claiming that it completed its mission in the country and killed thousands of militants.[461]
June 8 – JNIM launched an attack on Kpékankandi, Togo near the Burkina Faso Border. The attack was repelled by the military, killing six and taking three prisoners.[462][463]
June 11 – Local authorities reported that at least 20 civilians were killed in armed attacks in the Mangu local government area, north-central Nigeria over the past week.[464]
June 12 – JNIM attacked and took control a military position in Basso village,Borgou Department, Benin, near the border of Nigeria.[465]
June 13 – Nine people were killed in a jihadist attack on a road linking Makalondi and Torodi near the border with Burkina Faso.[466]
June 14 – At least 45 people were killed in a raid by armed gunmen in raid on Yelewata town, Benue state, Nigeria.[467]
June 20–21 – 71 civilians were massacred and 20 more were injured during a Friday prayer gathering in Manda, Talliberi, Niger by IS-SP militants.[470][471]
June 24–25 Mutinies occurred within the Nigerien Army occurred inFilingué andTéra and refused to partake in a combat mission, demanding better resources and intelligence. The commander of the company in Filingué, Lieutenant Colonel Massaoudou Dari Mossi, was beaten by his men after opposing the mutiny, being transported to Turkey for hospitalization.[472][473]
June 26 – At least 20 Nigerian soldiers were killed in an armed raid by bandits on a base outside the town of Bangi in Mariga district, central Nigeria.[474]
July 1 – JNIM fighters conducted coordinated attacks on several Malian military posts near the borders of Senegal and Mauritania, with the group claiming that it seized three barracks and dozens of army positions. According to the Malian army, 80 insurgents were killed.[475][476] During the attacks, three Indian nationals were abducted from a cement factory inKayes.[477]
July 4:
11 people were killed in an ISWAP attack in the town of Malam Fatori on the border with Niger and another 17 killed in a separate Lakurawa jihadist attack in Kwallajiya village, Sokoto, Nigeria.[478]
Hundreds of militants attacked Nigerien soldiers in Bouloundjounga and Samira, western Niger, killing ten and wounding 15. Forty-one attackers were killed during the fighting, according to Defense MinisterSalifou Modi.[479]
July 15 – Two Indian nationals were killed and a third was abducted during a terrorist attack inDosso Region, Niger.[480]
July 29 – At least 50 soldiers were killed in a suspected JNIM attack on the Dargo military base in northern Burkina Faso.[481]
August 1 – At least three RussianAfrica Corps mercenaries were killed in a JNIM ambush on their convoy nearTénenkou, in their first known casualties since their deployment to Mali.[482]
August 19 – Two Malian military outposts, located in Farabougou and Biriki-Were, were attacked. JNIM took responsibility, claiming it killed 21 soldiers, captured two, and seized military equipment.[483]
August 24 – JNIM members crossed the border from Burkina Faso into the Ivory Coast and entered the village of Difita in search of VDP soldiers. They proceeded to burn 20 houses, kill four people, injure one, and kidnap another.[484] Later reports from Ivorian media stated that VDP militiamen kidnapped six DAARA agents (Direction d'aide et d'assistance aux réfugiés et apatrides) who were conducting censuses of displaced people.[485]
September 8 – JNIM imposed a nationwide blockade on fuel and other goods imported from neighboring countries while besiegingMalian government-held cities and towns. An unknown number of fuel trucks fromSenegal and theIvory Coast violating JNIM's blockade have been attacked and burned by militants.[486]
September 11 – At least 27 Nigerien soldiers were killed by IS-SP militants in two attacks on the outskirts ofTillaberi. The first attack was an ambush on five pick up trucks carrying National Guard soldiers and killed 15, while the second attack was on an army position next to the airport, killing 12 and burning down a refugee camp.[487]
September 15 – Gunmen killed 22 people in theTillabéri Region, including 15 who were at a baptism ceremony inTakoubatt.[488]
October 4 – JNIM militants take control of a military outpost inOuara, Benin, killing three soldiers.[489]
October 28 - JNIM claimed responsibility for an attack that killed a soldier in Nigeria near the Benin border in its first attack in the country.[5][490]
4 January - Eight Nigerian soldiers were killed by an ISWAP IED detonation targeting their vehicle near Damasak, Borno State.[491] On the same day, 30 people were killed after armed men attacked the village of Kasuwan-Daji, Niger state.[492]
6 January – A Nigerien drone strike at a market in Kokoloko,Tillabéri Region, killed 17 civilians, including four children, and injured 13 others. Three Islamic State fighters were also killed.[493]
14 January - At least six people, including three soldiers, were killed in clashes between the Chadian army and MPRD rebel forces in the Moyen-Chari region of Chad.[494]
21 January - 11 Burkina Faso police officers were killed in jihadist attacks in the eastern part of the country.[495]
3 February - At least 162 people were killed after suspected armed jihadists attacked villages of Woro and Nuku in theKwara state, western Nigeria. Another 13 people were also killed in a separate attack in the village of Doma in the northwestern state of Katsina.[496]
9 February - at least 30 people were killed in two attacks by armed militants on two neighboring towns in Nigeria’s central state of Benue.[497]
As a result of the insurgency, the affected countries have been severely destabilized, with the emergence of thecoup belt following severalcoup d'états within the region due to perceived inability to handle the conflict. InMali andBurkina Faso, both countries lost significant control of their territory to the Islamists. The conflict has also seen a political shift in the region, with manymilitary juntas, many having recently overthrownUS- andChinese-backed governments, allying themselves with theRussian government and theWagner Group.[498]
In particular, Mali has seen significant activity of the Wagner Group as the government moved closer toTurkey andRussia. Niger saw its government beingoverthrown in 2023 due to poor management of the conflict. In particular, theM62 Movement, a pro-Russian group, supported the coup. Burkina Faso also saw its government being overthrown twice within a year, with coups occurringin Januaryand September, both of which caused by poor management of the conflict against Islamists. As a result of Russian expansion,Ukraine had funded opposition groups.[498]
Although not affected as much, countries nearby likeGhana,Benin,Guinea,Togo and theIvory Coast have been under constant threat of either full-on insurgency or severe destabilization internally. Guinea has already seena coup d'état whilethe Gambia has seen turmoil internally. Northern Benin has seen an increase in terrorism attributed to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and the Islamic State, with 28 incidents attributed to the groups between 1 November 2021 and 14 September 2022, including theW National Park massacre.[499] Ivory Coast reported that it hosted 90,000 refugees from Burkina Faso and an influx of Malian refugees in 2025.[500]
^JNIM has had a small presence in northern Togo since 2021, with several attacks carried out since then.[1]
^Jihadist groups have little to no presence on Ivorian soil, but have occasionally launched attacks along the Burkinabe-Ivorian border since 2019. AQIM attackedGrand-Bassam in 2016 as well.[2]
^No jihadist groups are active on Algerian soil, although the country has been attacked several times in the early days of the Mali War by jihadist groups. Currently, diplomatic relations between the AES states and Algeria are bad due to Algeria allowing FLA rebels on their soil.[3]
^The Mauritanian government currently has a non-aggression pact with JNIM-aligned jihadists, and has not had an attack by jihadist groups on its soil since 2011. Small JNIM cells are present along the Malian border.[4]
^PreviouslyWagner Group, since renamed Africa Corps and absorbed by Russian government.[7]
^While conflicts like the AQIM insurgency and Tuareg rebellions were ongoing up until the start of the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, the conflict that would devolve into the war in the Sahel didn't start until January 2012.[26]
^22,074 from 2007–2022,[37] 12,000+ in 2023[38] 13,806+ in 2024[39] 21,053 killed in 2025[39]
^Issaev, Leonid; Korotayev, Andrey (2022).New Wave of Revolutions in the MENA Region: A Comparative Perspective. Springer International Publishing. pp. 191–218.ISBN978-3-031-15135-4.
^Skretting, Vidar B. (June 2021). "Pragmatism and Purism in Jihadist Governance: The Islamic Emirate of Azawad Revisited".Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.47 (7):725–749.doi:10.1080/1057610X.2021.2007562.
^abcdefgBoeke, Sergei; Schuurman, Bart (2015-09-19). "Operation 'Serval': A Strategic Analysis of the French Intervention in Mali, 2013–2014".Journal of Strategic Studies.38 (6):801–825.doi:10.1080/01402390.2015.1045494.ISSN0140-2390.
Mali:7,350
AFISMA: 2,900[29]
Niger:12,000
Chad:30,350
France: 5,100 deployed in the Sahel[30][31]
United States: 1,325+ advisors, trainers[32][33]
