Local Weapons Sustain Jihadist Expansion Across the Sahel

Edition: Widad WAHBI

The jihadist violence devastating the Sahel region is largely fueled by weapons sourced locally, often seized during raids against national armed forces, according to a study published Tuesday by Conflict Armament Research (CAR).

The UK-based organization analyzed weapons confiscated from Islamist groups operating in two major hotspots of jihadist activity: the “three borders” area (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) and the Lake Chad basin (Niger, Chad, Nigeria). Out of 726 weapons seized between 2014 and 2023, from a total of 5,890 documented weapons, approximately 20% originated directly from the national military stockpiles of Sahelian countries, according to CAR’s findings.

This figure is likely underestimated, noted Léo Jarry, co-author of the report, who emphasized that weapons looted during jihadist raids on Sahelian military forces remain their main source of supply.

The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are the two most influential jihadist groups operating in the region. Despite their international ties, “there is no evidence that these groups are able to directly access weapons from outside the central Sahel,” CAR researchers stated.

“They are very local and highly opportunistic actors. And because of their effectiveness, they have gained recognition from Al-Qaeda and ISIS central leadership,” explained Léo Jarry to AFP.

The report highlights a dangerous dynamic: “The more weapons they seize, the more military outposts they can attack, and their operational capacity grows exponentially,” added Matthew Steadman, another co-author of the study, describing a “vicious circle.”

Another key source of jihadist armament comes from “legacy weapons” — firearms left over from previous conflicts, particularly following the Libyan civil war and years of armed rebellions, which have turned the Sahel into a vast open-air arms depot.