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Sahel

High intensity · Jihadist insurgency + state crises · JNIM / ISGS vs juntas · Reviewed 23 Aug 2026

Conflict map

Approximate theatre focus. Not a control-line map.

Current status

High-intensity jihadist and intercommunal violence continues across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Military juntas govern after coups; international force posture has shifted. Civilian harm and displacement remain severe.

Key parties

  • JNIM and ISGS / Islamic State affiliates
  • Junta-led national armies (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger)
  • Local self-defence and communal militias

Selected timeline

2012+
Mali insurgency expands regionally
2020–23
Coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger
2023–24
Foreign force drawdowns; AES alignment
2025
Attacks on roads, towns and forces continue
2026
Desk still rates Sahel High intensity
IntensityDesk assessment: High — wide-area insurgency
GeographyViolence concentrated in the tri-border Liptako–Gourma and adjacent zones
Civilian harmACLED and UN reporting describe high event counts; avoid inventing death totals
Developing

Attacks continue in Mali and Burkina Faso

Open reporting and incident databases describe recurring ambushes and raids. Individual mass-casualty claims require named sourcing.

OSINT / ACLED

Confirmed

Insurgency and junta rule persist

Governments and international monitors confirm that JNIM/IS-linked violence and weak state control remain defining features of the central Sahel.

Official / wire