Yesterday, on March 21, 2025, a jihadi group in southwestern Niger killed at least 44 civilians and severely injured 13 others. According to the ministry, the attack took place in a mosque while Muslim worshippers were performing Friday prayers, and the “heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque to carry out their massacre of rare cruelty.” After their attack, the gunmen then proceeded to set fire to a nearby market and houses before retreating.
Jihadi groups such as these have also conducted similar attacks on Mali and Burkina Faso, and many other countries in West Africa which have been fighting them for over a decade. Differing from “Islamists,” the term “jihadist” has been used by Western media to differentiate between violent and non-violent Sunni Islamists. Islamists aim to reorder governments and societies under Islamic law, while jihadists see violent struggles as a necessity to eradicate obstacles to restoring faith on Earth. However, many Muslims do not use the term “jihadist,” believing that it wrongfully associates a noble religious concept with violence and terrorism. For example, many jihadi groups form international alliances with Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Al-Ashtar Brigades, and other terrorist groups. To combat these groups, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger have established a security alliance in 2023 – the Alliance of Sahel States.
Despite the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States, extremist attacks have continued to rise in recent months. Last week, Islamic militants attacked Bamako, the capital of Mali, for the first time in a decade. Additionally, at least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in Burkina Faso during an attack by Al-Qaida-linked jihadi groups last month. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, civilian deaths rose to 3,064 in January to June of 2024, an increase of 25% compared to the 2,520 deaths in July to December 2023. Recently, these attacks have become more prevalent due to the strengthening of extremist groups amid recent nationwide discontent in the Sahel. Many feel unsatisfied with the newly elected government – seeing it as corrupt, poorly governed, and propped up by France. External factors include a poor economy, trafficking, border control, and marginalization, leading to instability and radical beliefs. Discontent with the government has persisted after many Sahel states cut ties with traditional Western allies and instead sought security partnerships with Russia, bringing in the Wagner Group. Exploiting and prying on the growing instability among citizens, extremist groups then target marginalized and neglected communities for recruitment. These events foreshadow a dark future in the Sahel region, stressing the importance for governments to find stability within themselves before addressing terrorist groups.
In response to the recent attack on March 21, the governor has declared a three-day mourning period. Promising to hunt down the perpetrators and put them on trial, the government then blamed the attack on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, which has not responded yet. However, this attack still demonstrates the failure of the government to restore security. Due to the recent movements of extremists toward wealthier West African coastal nations, analysts predict that the situation in Sahel is going to worsen in coming months. Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project analysis coordinator Hensi Nsabia agreed, stating, “It’s undeniable that things are getting worse, and the scope of the threat has been expanding.”
Written by Claire Liu
