JNIM and Iyad Ag Ghaly in the Sahel: Threats, Alliances, and Regional Impact

Clad in a pale blue robe and a black turban, Iyad Ag Ghaly appears at the start of the year beside leaders from the eastern region. The image captures a border crossing with Niger and marks one of the leader’s final public appearances in the near term. JNIM, the Islamic and Muslim Support Front, is described as a terrorist and criminal organization operating across the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea under the flag of al Qaeda. The group, shown in a video broadcast by its propaganda channel, signals apparent support from Tuareg factions in the Menaka region.
Iyad Ag Ghaly ranks among the most hunted terrorists in the world. A French newspaper has labeled him France’s top adversary in the Sahel. JNIM formed in 2017 as a political and military umbrella uniting longstanding Salafist groups that have operated in the region for years, including Ansar Dine, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in the Sahel, Katiba Macina, and Katiba Al Murabitun. The alliance has managed to dominate sizable parts of northern Mali and vast desert areas where populations are dispersed, beyond the reach of Bamako authorities.
JNIM and its leadership are adept at navigating the region’s tangled web of alliances, tribal loyalties, and ethnic tensions to recruit followers and seize territory. They present themselves as providers of security and local resources in a state of vacancy after the departure of government forces. The group carried out an attack on Sevare airport last April, when several vehicles exploded and ten civilians were killed. In the same month they struck a Mali Army convoy in the central region, killing ten soldiers.
Operating under a jihadist banner, this network seeks control of land and finances its criminal enterprises through drug trafficking and kidnappings. Sahel regional experts note that profits from these illegal activities fund the organization’s treasury and expansion plans.
Extension of JNIM
Long, porous borders linking Mali with Niger and Burkina Faso have facilitated the expansion of this criminal network. One of its stated aims is to extend influence toward the Gulf of Guinea, with Benin and neighboring nations experiencing related incidents in recent years. The push mirrors a broader pattern of cross border criminal networks that exploit regional gaps in security.
Observers from the International Observatory for Terrorism Studies highlight that the expansion of Islamic State and Al Qaeda networks into the Gulf of Guinea signals how instability travels across borders. Terrorist groups are moving into new countries and linking major activity hubs, creating bridges that sustain their operations and revenue streams.
Dispute with the Islamic State
Led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, the JNIM faction faces a rival faction with a distinctive approach, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, known as EIGS. This Middle East origin group began operating in the region around 2015, and its first notable attack occurred two years later, resulting in casualties among local and international forces. The EIGS is growing stronger and engaging with more countries as it expands its footprint.
The rivalry between JNIM and EIGS has at times produced periods of non aggression, yet it has also sparked major confrontations that claim many lives. The rising presence of the Islamic State network has intensified friction with other criminal and terrorist factions. In recent months, clashes between JNIM and EIGS have escalated as the latter seeks control over towns in Burkina Faso, triggering renewed violence across the region.
Recent clashes in Mali and Burkina Faso have led to significant casualties. The International Observatory for Terrorism Studies notes that as many as 20 militants were reported dead in a single confrontation, with indications that EIGS attempts to maneuver into Burkinabe towns and assert strategic control.