Africa Overview: April 2026
The war in Sudan spilled over into Chad, and Maiduguri in Nigeria faced simultaneous attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Conflict in the Sahel
ACLED’s latest data and analysis on the Sahel.
Africa Overview: March 2026
The Congolese military targets M23 areas around the lucrative Rubaya mine, JNIM defections spark a crackdown across the central Sahel, and the RSF moves into North Darfur.
Q&A: Why is jihadist violence escalating in the Benin, Niger, and Nigeria border triangle?
The entrenchment of Sahelian and Nigerian jihadist groups in littoral border regions is marked by geopolitical changes, weakened regional cooperation, and limited border security.
Africa Overview: February 2026
This past month, the TDF clashed with the ENDF, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has triggered mass demonstrations, and the suppression of opposition parties marked Uganda’s elections.
What began as an outbreak of violence in Mali in 2012 turned into a regional conflict that has spanned more than a decade. The central Sahelian states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are at the center of a regional jihadist insurgency that has resulted in insecurity and instability in the region driven by a diverse range of armed groups. Successive military interventions, including initiatives such as the French Operation Serval, which evolved into the counter-terrorism mission Operation Barkhane, as well as the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA and the G5 Sahel Force, have failed to achieve lasting stability. The central Sahelian countries consistently rank high on ACLED’s Conflict Index due to high levels of violence across the region.
Armed groups in the Sahel
The transnational conflict in the Sahel has been driven by an array of armed actors cooperating, competing, and operating independently of one another. Groups including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Qaeda’s branch in the Sahel, and the Islamic State Sahel Province (IS Sahel) are also prominent in the regional jihadist insurgency. While violence involving insurgent groups and militants are a driving factor for regional insecurity, the situation is further complicated by the proliferation of armed groups, including various communal, ethnic, and self-defense militias like the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP); state forces; and other actors like mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
A detachment of Operation Almahaou anti-jihadist special forces patrol the Tillaberi region of western Niger on 6 November 2021. Photo by Boureima Hama/AFP via Getty Images
Newly restructured, the Islamic State in the Sahel aims for regional expansion
The report examines IS Sahel's shift from mass violence toward territorial control and its future trajectory.
Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)
Detailed exploration of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) in Burkina Faso.
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)
A detailed profile of JNIM, their operations, economic warfare, and influence in the Sahel.
IS Sahel's tactics cause mass, indiscriminate violence
Detailed analysis of the Islamic State’s Sahel Province and its operations.
ACLED's expert
For media queries and interview requests, reach out to our expert.
All analysis on the Sahel
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Africa Overview: March 2026
The Congolese military targets M23 areas around the lucrative Rubaya mine, JNIM defections spark a crackdown across the central Sahel, and the RSF moves into North Darfur.
Webinar | Escalating jihadist violence in the Benin, Niger & Nigeria border triangle
Watch the recorded webinar discussing the escalating jihadist violence in the Benin, Niger, and Nigeria border triangle.
Economic warfare escalates as militants expand beyond the Sahel
Previously distinct conflicts in the Sahel and coastal West Africa are merging into a single, interconnected one that will likely become a key arena of militant competition.
Africa Overview: December 2025
ISCAP’s collaboration with allies deepened in the DRC, Ethiopia launched its first airstrike against the Tigray Defence Forces since the Pretoria agreement, and violence surged in the Tombouctou region of Mali.
From hunters to militias: The militarization of Dozos in Mali
The first in a series on militarized self-defense and vigilantism, this report examines the structure, operations, evolution, and impact of Dozo self-defense groups in central Mali.
De chasseurs à miliciens : la militarisation des Dozos au Mali
Premier volet d’une série consacrée aux formes militarisées d’autodéfense et de justice populaire, ce rapport analyse la structure, les opérations, l’évolution et l’impact des groupes d’autodéfense dozos dans le centre du Mali.
Webinar | Emerging frontlines: How Jihadist expansion is reshaping Benin, Niger, and Nigeria
Watch the recorded webinar examining the latest data behind the jihadist movements in Benin, Niger, and Nigeria and their impacts on the exposed population.
New frontlines: Jihadist expansion is reshaping the Benin, Niger, and Nigeria borderlands
This report discusses jihadist expansion in the Benin-Niger-Nigeria borderlands, focusing on ISSP and JNIM strategies and impacts.
Newly restructured, the Islamic State in the Sahel aims for regional expansion
The report examines IS Sahel's shift from mass violence toward territorial control and its future trajectory.
The Sahel: Mid-year metrics 2024
Reported fatalities from civilian targeting during the first half of 2024 increased in the Sahel region.