Héni is ACLED’s West Africa Senior Analyst. He leads the conflict data collection and analysis for the Sahel. He is also the director of Menastream, a research and risk consultancy that provides intelligence analysis and tailored services.
His research interests and expertise center around insurgencies and their various dimensions, and non-state actors in Sahelian countries. In addition to his research activities, Héni is regularly consulted by the media, government agencies, and various organizations on security issues in the Sahel and North Africa.
Héni has over 15 years of experience in researching the broader MENA-region. He is the co-author of The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront (Hurst Publishers). His work and commentary have been published in the CTC Sentinel, African Affairs, ISPI, Le Monde, Jeune Afrique, The Guardian, TIME, and Al Jazeera, among others.
Spoken languages: English, French and Swedish Timezone: Central European Time - CET
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.
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.
The RSF attacked civilians in Sudan after taking over El Fasher and Bara, unrest erupted in Cameroon over President Biya’s re-election, and al-Shabaab struck a prison in the Somali capital.
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.
Insurgent violence rose in Nigeria’s Borno state, the US’ first recorded drone strike in the Sanaag region of Somalia killed an elder, and in Sudan the RSF made gains in El Fasher.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have made a groundbreaking move by formally notifying the International Criminal Court (ICC) of their decision to withdraw, citing accusations of "neo-colonial" bias. In this discussion, experts Héni Nsaibia and Daniel Eizenga dive deep into the implications of this historic decision, its potential impact on African governance, and the future of international justice.
JNIM overran the Farabougou army base in Mali after a five-year siege, Boko Haram escalated attacks on the Cameroon-Nigeria border, and targeted violence in Darfur drove an increase in civilian deaths in August.
In this Q&A, ACLED’s experts discuss how Islamic State affiliates operate in Somalia, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, the Great Lakes region, and northern Mozambique, and how authorities are responding to this growing threat.
Watch ACLED analysts on Somalia, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, the Great Lakes region, and northern Mozambique, for another in-depth analysis of IS’s pivot to Africa and the evolving nature of African regional security.
The Islamic State is increasingly pivoting its operations toward Africa. Watch the recorded webinar for a deep dive with our experts as they examined IS’s expanding strongholds, providing insights into the actions of the group in five African regions.
Watch the recorded webinar examining the latest data behind the jihadist movements in Benin, Niger, and Nigeria and their impacts on the exposed population.
