How an al-Qaeda offshoot became one of Africa's deadliest militant groups
July 7, 2025, BBC Priya Sippy & Jacob Boswall
BBC News & BBC Monitoring
Al-Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) is the main group behind a surge in militant jihadist attacks sweeping across several West African nations, especially Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
On 1 July, the group said it had carried out a major coordinated attack on seven military locations in western Mali, including near the borders with Senegal and Mauritania.
There is growing concern about the impact JNIM could have on the stability of the region.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have struggled to contain the violence – and this is one of the factors that contributed to several military coups in the three Sahel countries over the last five years.
But like the civilian governments they replaced, the juntas are seemingly unable to stem the growing jihadist threat, especially from JNIM.
What is JNIM? ....
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4r5wylwq6o
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