Trump Admin Considers Military Strikes in Mali Against Al-Qaeda Affiliate

The Trump administration is contemplating military action in Mali, targeting the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM), a group affiliated with al-Qaeda. This potential operation, previously unreported, could mark Mali as the eighth nation where President Trump has authorized airstrikes since the beginning of his second term, a move that contrasts with his initial pledge to end global conflicts and refocus resources domestically.

Within the US government, there is a division regarding the proposed military engagement. Senior officials, speaking anonymously, revealed that Sebastian Gorka, a senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, is a strong proponent of the military strike. The JNIM has established a significant presence in Mali, launching attacks into coastal West African nations and emerging as a well-equipped and powerful militant group in the region.

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We call on regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in its war against JNIM and the Islamic State.

US officials are urging regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in its fight against JNIM and the Islamic State. While not directly criticizing the military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have increasingly turned to Russia for security assistance after severing ties with the West, one official pointed to Moscow's ineffectiveness as a security partner in Mali. The official noted that Russia has proven to be an unproductive ally in counterterrorism efforts, suggesting that other African nations should observe Russia's poor performance in this area.

Mali, a landlocked country of nearly 25 million people, has been plagued by violence from both Islamist militants and its own military junta, along with Russian mercenaries. The JNIM's influence has grown, transforming Mali and its Sahel neighbors into a hub for global terrorism. The group has carried out attacks, including a nationwide offensive in the spring that saw militants in the capital, Bamako, and the capture of a strategic northern city, as well as a suicide bombing that killed the country's defense minister. Meanwhile, the Islamic State Sahel Province, a rival to JNIM, has consolidated its forces near the Mali-Niger border.

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We hope other African countries will take note of Russia's poor performance in counterterrorism.