Sahel Violence Nears a Record High
Sahel Violence Nears a Record High
The Sahel has become one of the world’s most dangerous centers of militant violence. New ACLED figures indicate that violence involving groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger could surpass 3,000 recorded events in 2026. Read the original Guardian report.
The scale of the increase is stark. Recorded events involving jihadist groups in the three countries rose from 63 in 2016 to 2,845 in 2025; 2,145 had already been logged this year when the report was published. Source: The Guardian.
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The human cost is severe. The 2026 Global Peace Index cited more than 9,000 deaths from security incidents across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in 2025, underscoring how terrorism-related violence has become more geographically concentrated in the Sahel. Read the full analysis.
In Mali, JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front launched a major offensive against strategic towns, government forces and Russian auxiliaries. In Burkina Faso, JNIM has claimed more than 130 attacks in 2026, while Islamic State in the Greater Sahara remains a significant force in Niger. More context from the Guardian.
The crisis cannot be explained by militant activity alone. Poor governance, resource competition, ethnic and sectarian tensions, poverty and long-running instability have created conditions that armed groups can exploit. Read the source coverage.
Experts also note an important distinction: today’s Sahel-based groups are primarily locally focused, despite their ideological links to transnational networks. That does not reduce the danger to people living in the region, but it does shape how the threat should be understood and addressed. Explore the original report.
Lasting progress will require more than security operations. Protecting civilians, building accountable institutions, supporting livelihoods and expanding access to basic services are essential parts of any credible response to the Sahel’s worsening crisis. Source: The Guardian.
