ANALYSIS: Sahel security crisis demands action beyond assurances of solidarity

The security crisis in the Sahel is deepening, marked by a worrying evolution in terror threats that demands concrete action beyond mere declarations of solidarity. Recent coordinated attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger underscore a growing strategic reconfiguration among armed groups. In Mali, the Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed and insurgents seized key towns following ambitious operations by the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). This coalition has demonstrated a more structured operational complementarity, with FLA active in the north and JNIM leveraging its asymmetric warfare expertise in other regions. Their attacks aim to disrupt commercial traffic and challenge state authority.

Similar patterns are emerging in Burkina Faso and Niger. Burkina Faso's armed forces reported thwarting 'complex and coordinated' attacks in the country's east and north. In Niger, the army repelled assaults on the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, with both Islamic State Sahel Province and JNIM claiming responsibility for separate attacks. The increasing collaboration, targeting of strategic infrastructure, use of sophisticated technologies like commercial drones, and assassinations of leaders signal a significant shift in the terror landscape.

These escalating operations directly challenge the foundations of Sahelian states' authority by demonstrating their inability to protect citizens. The article argues that active security cooperation is urgently needed among the three countries forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES): Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The current approach of offering assurances of solidarity is insufficient to counter the growing threat posed by these increasingly organized and bold insurgent coalitions. The situation demands a robust, coordinated security response to prevent further destabilization.