By John Campbell Jacob Zenn is author of “Unmasking Boko Haram: Exploring Global Jihad in Nigeria,” which was published in April 2020 by Lynne Rienner in association with the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews. The Sahel and Nigeria were previously distinct areas of
Tag: ISGS
The Next Dangerous front in ISIS’ Holy War
By Philip Obaji Jr In recent months, Islamist militant groups in Africa allied to the so-called Islamic State have been on the rampage—attacking communities, slaughtering aid workers and seizing important government assets. Since ISIS was squeezed out of its self-proclaimed caliphate in the Middle East last year, its offshoots—particularly those in West
Hard counter-terrorism lessons from the Sahel for West Africa’s coastal states
•The expansion of extremism shows the flaws in current strategies and the need to rethink regional responses. Lori-Anne Theroux-Benoni and Nadia Adam Violent extremist groups are no longer confined to the Sahelian states of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad. Their threat is spilling over into the northern regions of West
Islamic State puts the Sahel in West Africa – for now
Robert Postings Starting in May, Islamic State began to attribute insurgent activities in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area to its West Africa Province affiliate. This region is far to the west of ISWAP’s normal operational area around Lake Chad, but rather than a westward expansion by that Nigerian-led group, these claims