TERRORISM AND COUNTER-TERRORISM IN THE SAHEL REGION 2005- 2025

The Sahel region is a semi-arid belt stretching across Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and has in recent decades become one of the world’s most volatile and insecure regions. It comprises states such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, and parts of Nigeria. Between 2005 and 2025, the Sahel has witnessed a rapid escalation of terrorist activities and violent extremism, primarily linked to the spread of jihadist ideologies and the collapse of effective governance structures in key states. The increasing fragility of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso has created a fertile environment for extremist movements such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), and several local militias to thrive.¹