THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Simultaneous militant attacks launched across Mali | AP News Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities on Saturday, in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years. The military said later in the day that the situation was under control. An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo) This photo released by Front of Azawad Liberation, shows militants on the streets in Kidal, northern, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Front of Azawad Liberation/ ViaAP) DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Islamic militants and separatists said they attacked several locations inMali‘s capital, Bamako, and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the West African country in recent years. The government gave no death toll but said that 16 people were wounded in the attacks. Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by militants affiliated with al-Qaida andthe Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north. Most of the details of the unfolding attacks on Saturday came from local residents, who spoke to The Associated Press over the phone. The al-Qaida…

Foreign Counterterrorism Influences in the Sahel - Vision of Humanity The Sahel now accounts for over half of global terrorism deaths, with violence surging across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. As France withdraws its presence, Russia and China are stepping in, reshaping the region’s security dynamics amid growing anti-colonial sentiment and strained Western ties. According to the findings of IEP’sGlobal Terrorism Index 2025, the Sahel now accounts for 51 per cent of worldwide terrorism deaths – a notable increase from the 1 per cent it represented seventeen years ago. The Sahel, comprising parts of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal, has experienced a significant increase in terrorism. Deaths from terrorism have increased nearly tenfold since 2019. In 2024, conflict deaths in the region exceeded 25,000 for the first time since the inception of the GTI, with terrorism accounting for 4,794 of these fatalities. Five of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism globally are now located in the Sahel. 17 out of the 20 deadliest terrorist attacks in 2024 occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Sahel region, the deadliest …

How is Burkina Faso doing now? 2025 reality check How is Burkina Faso doing now? Security and society in 2025 by Internet Desk September 6, 2025 Security forces and displaced communities highlight the ongoing struggle in Burkina Faso, 2025. [PHOTO: Presidency of Burkina Faso Share this Linkedin X Facebook Telegram Pinterest Whatsapp Email Three years after Ibrahim Traoré’s rise to power, Burkina Faso remains caught between hope and hardship. Security challenges, humanitarian crises, and a shifting geopolitical posture define the country’s present reality. So, how is Burkina Faso doing now? Security situation in Burkina Faso now Despite promises to restore stability, the insurgency led by groups affiliated with al-Qaeda (JNIM) and the Islamic State (ISGS) has intensified in several provinces. According to Reuters , attacks in 2025 have continued in the Sahel, Est, and Nord regions. Road ambushes, blockades, and IEDs make travel between major towns risky, while rural communities often live under militant control. The government’s response has involved joint operations with Mali and Niger under the Alliance of Sahel States. Security sources note that coordination has improved, but th…

Violent Extremism in the Sahel | Global Conflict Tracker Back to Map Violent Extremism in the Sahel By the Center for Preventive Action Updated May 5, 2026 A framed portrait and the coffin of Malian Defence Minister Sadio Camara, who was killed in a militant attack, are displayed on the day of his state funeral, in Bamako, Mali, on April 30, 2026. Mali Presidency via Facebook /Handout via Reuters Niger's opposition supporters run as they protest in a street after the announcement of the results of the country's presidential run-off in Niamey on February 23, 2021. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images People attend the state funeral of late Chadian President Idriss Deby in N'Djamena, Chad on April 23, 2021. Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via Reuters A French soldier patrols the streets of Gao, Mali, on December 4, 2021. Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images Supporters of the "Coalition of Northern Groups" rally to urge authorities to rescue hundreds of abducted schoolboys, in the northwestern state of Katsina, Nigeria, on December 17, 2020. Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Malian soldiers are pictured during a patrol with soldiers from the Takuba task force near the Niger border in Dansongo Circl…

West Africa and the Sahel, July 2024 Monthly Forecast In July, the Security Council will hold its biannual briefing on West Africa and the Sahel. The Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, is expected to brief. The security situation remains dire in parts of the Sahel, particularly the Liptako-Gourma tri-border region of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The three countries, led by military juntas that came to power through coups d’état, created the Alliance of Sahel States orl’Alliance des États du Sahel(AES) in September 2023. In November 2023, Burkina Faso and Niger quit the Group of Five for the Sahel Joint Force (FC-G5S), which they had formed in 2017 with Chad, Mali, and Mauritania to combat terrorism and organised crime; Mali withdrew from the G5 Sahel in June 2022. The three AES countries later announced on 7 March that they were creating a new joint force to fight terrorist groups. AES countriesannouncedon 28 January that they were withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the decision reflected deteriorating relations between the three countries and ECOWAS in recent yea…

Central Sahel: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Three Countries on the Brink Central Sahel: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Three Countries on the Brink Far from the Headlines Showcase 13/05/2026 4 min. Share Facebook X WhatsApp Email Print The Central Sahel region, comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has been experiencing a protracted crisis since 2012, one that has largely faded from the headlines. These three countries, semi-arid and marked by poverty and insecurity, are ruled by military juntas that have formed an alliance. What is the nature of this crisis? Unaccompanied teenagers read informational brochures in Lampedusa, Italy, after crossing the Mediterranean, most often via Mali or Niger and Libya. © UNICEF/Niccolò Corti The Sahel, in a broader sense, includes northern Nigeria, where the jihadist armed group Boko Haram is active. Africa remains “the global epicentre of violent extremism,” according to the UN , with most terrorism-related murders worldwide taking place in the Sahel. The security situation in Mali deteriorated further at the end of April: jihadist armed groups and a Tuareg separatist movement attacked several towns across the country, killing members of …

What to know about the largest coordinated attack in over a decade by ... This photo released by Front of Azawad Liberation, shows militants on the streets in Kidal, northern, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Front of Azawad Liberation/ ViaAP) An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo) Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Camara enters a hall for a talk in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 28, 2024. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP, File) DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — An alliance of al-Qaida-linked militants and separatists carried out thelargest coordinated attackin over a decade inMali, marking a dangerous escalation in what is widely considered one of the world’s deadliest regions for extremist violence. The weekend attack marked also a challenge for Russia, which has partnered with Mali’s military-led government after it distanced itself from former allies such as France. The attack was unprecedented for its scale — both for the number of locations struck and the prominence of the targets, analysts said Monday. Authorities have not yet released an official death toll but among those killed was Mali’s defense minister who died when acar bomb targeted his home. The near-…

Jihadis took over their towns. Many distrust Mali's rulers just as much ... Africa Jihadis took over their towns. Many distrust Mali’s rulers just as much. | Courtesy of EU/Michele Cattani Malian refugees pose for a portrait next to a water storage tank in Douankara, a few hundred yards from the border between Mali and Mauritania, Nov. 4, 2025. Loading... By Adrien Marotte Contributor Jan. 12, 2026, 5:26 p.m. ET | Hodh Chargui Region, Mauritania At the southeastern edge of Mauritania, the border with Mali dissolves into a long stretch of sand, broken only by thorny acacias reaching their bare arms toward the sky. The line on the map means little here. At least 7,500 Malians have crossed into Mauritania on foot since the end of October, fleeing a jihadist insurgency and a state that can no longer protect them from the fighting. They joined more than 300,000 Malians who have escaped to this remote triangle of Mauritania’s Hodh Chargui region in the last decade, according to the United Nations refugee agency. The stories told by these new arrivals illustrate how Mali is buckling under the strains of a collapsing economy, military abuses, and a grinding insurgency. Once limited to the…

Somalia at Risk of Becoming a Jihadist State - Africa Center By Matt Bryden November 17, 2025 Download this Brief as a PDF: English | Français | Português Persistent resistance to power sharing between Somalia’s federal and state governments has brought al Shabaab to the precipice of taking Mogadishu and escalating the threat from international jihadists. Al Shabaab fighters outside Mogadishu. (Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP) Highlights Al Shabaab poses a serious threat of taking Mogadishu—largely due to a breakdown in political cooperation between federal and state authorities. Such an outcome would empower a militant Islamist alliance with global ties, profoundly reshaping the international fight against terrorist groups. Somalia is becoming an increasingly regionalized conflict with Gulf states supporting rival Somali actors and ambitions. Pulling Somalia back from the abyss may still be possible but would require fundamental political and security reforms and a reinvigorated African Union peacekeeping force. A s al Shabaab embarked on a sweeping offensive across much of central Somalia in April 2025, diplomats in Somalia’s seaside capital began mulling over a disconcerting hypo…

Mali has not just plunged into crisis. It has been unraveling for years. This week, the United States urged its citizens to leave Mali immediately, as an al-Qaeda affiliated group imposed a fuel blockade on the capital. More than a routine security warning, this move highlights the deep vulnerability of a country clinging to the illusion of military sovereignty, cut off from its partners, fractured internally, and suffocating in isolation—a stark contrast to Mali’s history and potential. A coup that promised stability—and delivered chaos When Colonel Assimi Goïta seized power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, he vowed the “ refoundation ” of a sovereign and secure Mali. Instead, the Malian army—trained to fight terrorism—ended up dismantling what was left of the state’s institutional foundations. Initially expected to strengthen the military, the power grab only deepened its divisions, splitting the army between privileged loyalists of the regime and those sent to the front lines. Coupled with the departure of international forces from Mali, this fragmentation led to abandoned positions, weapons falling into the hands of separatists, and jihadists expanding their hold over t…

Mali: Grave Abuses Amid Renewed Fighting | Human Rights Watch Click to expand Image A column of black smoke rises above buildings in Bamako on April 26, 2026. © 2026 AFP via Getty Images (Nairobi) – Islamist armed groups and Malian armed forces and their allies have committed serious abuses against civilians since fighting escalated in Mali in April 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 25, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM) carried out coordinated attacks across Mali. JNIM joined forces with Tuareg fighters of the Azawad Liberation Front (Front de libération de l’Azawad, or FLA), who are seeking to overthrow the military junta led by Gen. Assimi Goïta and backed by Russian fighters from Africa Corps (formerly the Wagner Group). All parties have unlawfully attacked civilians and some parties destroyed and looted their homes and shops. On April 28, JNIM announced a “total siege” of the capital, Bamako, threatened to kill civilians obstructing its operations, and attacked civilian vehicles. Malian armed forces responded with apparent reprisals against Fulani communities and two apparent airstrikes ki…

Tuareg fighters shoot down Russian helicopter in Mali Tuareg fighters shoot down Russian helicopter in Mali News Aviation By Dylan Malyasov Jul 5, 2026 Modified date: Jul 5, 2026 Key Points FLA fighters claim to have shot down a Russian Africa Corps Mi-24P helicopter near Gao, Mali, on July 4 or 5, 2026. No Russian or Malian government source has confirmed the loss amid renewed coordinated attacks across five Malian towns. Russia has lost another attack helicopter in Africa, this time to Tuareg rebel fighters in Mali rather than to the war in Ukraine that has already cost Moscow dozens of similar aircraft. The Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led rebel coalition known by its French acronym FLA, claimed its fighters shot down a Mi-24P, a Soviet-designed attack and transport helicopter NATO calls the Hind, operated by Russia’s Africa Corps during fighting around a military convoy near the northern Malian city of Gao. The claim emerged during a renewed wave of coordinated attacks that swept across Mali on July 4 and 5, 2026, though no Russian or Malian government source has confirmed the loss, and the claim fits a pattern of unverified reports that has repeatedly muddied real-time c…

Sahel Crisis & Security Updates 2026 | Defcon Level Share: Share: X Facebook WhatsApp Reddit Telegram Email Substack Patreon Pocket Copy Bookmark Notify On Save for quick access. If the button does not work, press Ctrl+D Link copied to clipboard! Save for quick access. If the button does not work, press Ctrl+D Quick Answer: What is the Sahel security crisis? The Sahel region of West Africa faces a converging security crisis involving military coups, jihadist insurgencies from JNIM and ISWAP, the withdrawal of French forces, and the expanding presence of Russian Wagner Group/Africa Corps mercenaries. Multiple nations have experienced military takeovers since 2020, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and pivoting away from Western partnerships. Overview The Sahel - a semi-arid belt stretching across Africa south of the Sahara - has become one of the world's most volatile security environments. The region encompasses parts of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritania, and faces an extraordinary convergence of military coups, jihadist insurgencies, ethnic violence, and great-power competition. Since 2020, military juntas have seized power in Mali (2020, 2021), Bu…

Mali Is the Linchpin of West Africa—Now It’s Under Jihadist Siege Share By experts and staff Published May 5, 2026 7:00 a.m. Ebenezer Obadare CFR Expert Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies Share Ebenezer Obadare is Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Thousands of armed fighters belonging to the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and ethnic Tuareg separatists under the umbrella of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched coordinated attacks on multiple cities in Mali on Saturday, April 25. They targeted Bamako, the capital, as well as Gao, Kidal, Mopti, and Sevare—all sites of major military bases in the northern and central regions of the beleaguered country. If the military government of Assimi Goïta has gotten used to sporadic attacks by JNIM militants—who have effectively imposed a fuel blockade on Bamako for the better part of a year—it seems to have been caught off guard by the alliance between JNIM and FLA, and by their rare decision to target several cities simultaneously. From the standpoint of the emergency allies, the attacks were a success, as they managed to kill Malian Defen…

Morocco says it dismantled Islamic State cell that was planning attacks ... An agent from the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) stands behind items the agency says they seized during raids on suspected terrorist cells, during a news conference at the BCIJ in Sale, Morocco, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sam Metz) Items that the Moroccan DGST police investigation agency says they seized during raids on suspected terrorist cells are displayed during a news conference at the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (DGST) in Sale, Morocco, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sam Metz) A Moroccan DGST police investigator stands behind items the agency says they seized during raids on suspected terrorist cells, during a news conference at the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in Sale, Morocco, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sam Metz) Moroccan security forces from the DGST stand outside their Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in Sale, Morocco, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, after a press conference displaying items the DGST says they seized during raids on suspected terrorist cells. (AP Photo/Sam Metz) SALE, Morocco (AP) — Moroccan authorities this month ar…

Grave Abuses Amid Renewed Mali Fighting | Mirage News Mirage News Mirage News Mirage News Life 29 Jun 2026 12:04 pm AEST Date Time Share Human Rights Watch Islamist armed groups and Malian armed forces and their allies have committed serious abuses against civilians since fighting escalated in Mali in April 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 25, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM) carried out coordinated attacks across Mali. JNIM joined forces with Tuareg fighters of the Azawad Liberation Front (Front de libération de l'Azawad, or FLA), who are seeking to overthrow the military junta led by Gen. Assimi Goïta and backed by Russian fighters from Africa Corps (formerly the Wagner Group). All parties have unlawfully attacked civilians and some parties destroyed and looted their homes and shops. On April 28, JNIM announced a "total siege" of the capital, Bamako, threatened to kill civilians obstructing its operations, and attacked civilian vehicles. Malian armed forces responded with apparent reprisals against Fulani communities and two apparent airstrikes killing civilians. "As fighting flares up aga…

Mali government reports rebel attacks targeting northern towns By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:41 AM CDT Saturday, Jul. 4, 2026 Last Modified: 5:07 AM CDT Saturday, Jul. 4, 2026 Advertisement Advertise with us Tweet Share Print Email Read Later BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The Malian army said Saturday that several northern towns, including Gao and Sévaré, were targeted by rebels. Read this article for free: or Already have an account? Log in here » To continue reading, please subscribe: Digital Subscription One year of digital access for only $1.44 a week * Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper Access News Break, our award-winning app Play interactive puzzles *Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time. To continue reading, please subscribe: Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional $1 for the first 4 weeks* Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper Access News Break, …

Alarming US Troop Withdrawal Africa Security Impact Alarming US Troop Withdrawal Africa Security Impact by African Elements News Writer | Apr 4, 2025 | Black News-Africa and Diaspora , Current News Headlines | 0 comments US Africa Command troop withdrawals escalate Sahel security concerns as extremist groups expand; Somalia maintains counterterrorism focus against Al-Shabaab and ISIS. (Image generated by DALL-E). Listen to this article Download Audio US Africa Command: Troop Withdrawal Effects Sahel & Somalia By Darius Spearman ( africanelements ) Support African Elements at patreon.com/africanelements and hear recent news in a single playlist. Additionally, you can gain early access to ad-free video content . AFRICOM Withdrawal Impact: Sahel Security Concerns Rise The security situation across Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, is deeply concerning. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) leadership has sounded the alarm about the consequences of pulling troops out. General Michael Langley, AFRICOM’s commander, plainly stated that areas like the Sahel have become “less safe” following recent military withdrawals ( Africa’s Sahel is ‘less safe’ after troop withdrawal: AFRICOM ). This w…

Niger: shooting at the airport. Authorities: 11 soldiers and 22 ... from our correspondentAlberto Magnani 18 June 2026 2' min read For feedback, please contactenglish@ilsole24ore.com 2' min read For feedback, please contactenglish@ilsole24ore.com NAIROBI – Niamey airport has come under attack again, just a few months after the raid claimed in January by Islamic State militants and repelled by Nigerien security forces. Witnesses quoted by the Associated Press report gunfire and explosions in the early hours of the morning, whilst the authorities in Niamey have confirmed several casualties on both sides of the attack. The death toll is reported to include 11 soldiers and 22 attackers killed, in an attack that has heightened the terrorist threat and highlighted the inadequacy of the response attempted by the Niamey authorities and their Russian allies from the former private military company Wagner. Niger is governed by a military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who came to power in 2023 following the coups d’état that had already taken place in Mali (2020, 2021) and Burkina Faso (both in 2022). The military governments overthrew the previous administrations amid c…

Boko Massacre In Nigeria; Ethiopia On The Brink; M23 Drone Attack; Is Attacks Niamey: Africa File, February 5, 2026 | Critical Threats To receive the weekly Africa File or triweekly Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribehere. Follow CTP onX,LinkedIn, andBlueSky. Contributors:Anahita Asudani and Elliot Nazar Key Takeaways: Figure1. Africa File, February 5, 2026 Source: Liam Karr. Author: Liam Karr Likely Boko Haram militants massacred at least 170 civilians in one of the deadliest attacks Nigeria in recent years.Militants attacked Nuku and Woro towns in Nigeria’s Kwara state on February 3.[1]The attack was particularly brutal, as attackers tied the hands and feet of several of their victims, slit some of their throats, and burned homes and shops in both towns over several hours.[2] The attackers were Salafi-jihadi militants, who had moved into the area over the previous six months. Locals claimed that they recognized the gunmen as jihadists who had regularly preached in the area, encouraging locals to adhere to shari’a law and rebel against the Nigerian state.[3]The militants had also sent “warning” letters and pamphlets to the towns over past five months.[4]T…

War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Burkina Faso by All Sides I found my family and my neighbor’s family massacred. My wives [and] my children were dead…. The only survivor [from my family] was my 11-year-old son…. I found the bodies lying on the ground, bullets in their heads, chests, stomachs. My little one was wounded in the left leg.... I took him out of a pile of corpses. I found five other injured children from my neighbor’s family. –Samer [not his real name], a resident of Bouro village, Sahel region, February 6, 2024 On December 14, 2023, Burkina Faso military forces and allied militias killed 19 of Samer’s relatives in an attack on his neighborhood in Bouro village. Alone, amid bodies and devastation, Samer tended to six injured children. “I started caring for them with what I had,” he told Human Rights Watch. “I made bandages with clothes I tore off. I did this all evening. There was no one in Bouro. All had fled.” Samer then took the children and fled to neighboring Mali. Since 2016, Islamist armed groups have waged an insurgency against the government of Burkina Faso. The Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Group for the Support of Islam and…

Weapons Losses Fueling Africa's Militant Groups By Eric G. Berman March 28, 2022 Loss of munitions and other lethal materiel from African armed forces and peace operations is a key factor sustaining militant groups driving instability on the continent. Weapons and an armored vehicle at a MIMUSMA outpost in northern Mali. (Photo: MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko ) Within a single week in February 2021, militants from the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) overran Nigerian military bases in the towns of Marte and Dikwa in Borno State. More than 20 soldiers were killed in the attacks. The militants likely seized at least half a dozen vehicles and hundreds of weapons. The incidents were significant but unexceptional. “Nonstate armed groups have regularly targeted and overrun peacekeepers and national armed forces to seize lethal and nonlethal materiel.” Contingent-owned equipment (COE) loss has become a critical vulnerability for national armies and peace operations in Africa. Nonstate armed groups have regularly targeted and overrun peacekeepers and national armed forces to seize lethal and nonlethal materiel. This materiel represents a significant source of armaments for Africa’s militant g…

Keeping Terrorism at Bay in Mauritania – Africa Center By Anouar Boukhars June 16, 2020 Mauritania’s security reforms, including training, enhanced mobility, Special Forces, prudent procurement, and community engagement have strengthened its capability to confront violent extremist groups. Français | العربية A Mauritania Air Force Embraer A-29B Super Tucano. (Photo: Julian Herzog ) Violent extremism continues to be one of the most significant challenges to peace and security in the Sahel. Militant Islamist groups have shown remarkable staying power despite their military rout in northern Mali in 2013 following the deployment of French-led Operation Serval (now Operation Barkhane). Indeed, violent extremist groups in the Sahel have grown in number, size, and lethality —now concentrated in central Mali, northeastern Burkina Faso, and western Niger. Largely absent from this narrative is Mauritania. The story of Mauritania’s transformation from the weakest link in this crisis-ridden neighborhood to one of its most resilient is instructive. The country was the first in the Sahel to be hit by terrorist attacks in 2005. However, since 2011 it has avoided the expanding and diversifying th…