In the Sahel, Al-Qaeda’s Local Branch Advances Its Political and Military Agenda

Edited by: Widad WAHBI

A recent wave of coordinated military operations by the Sahelian affiliate of Al-Qaeda – the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) – is raising serious concern across the region. Under the leadership of Malian jihadist Iyad Ag Ghali, the group appears to be executing a carefully staged plan, combining propaganda, territorial control, and battlefield offensives across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The signal for this latest campaign came on March 30, during Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Mahmoud Barry, a senior figure in the GSIM, delivered a speech in front of field commanders and dozens of fighters somewhere in the Malian countryside. The event, recorded and later released in a propaganda video on April 10, showed Barry dressed in white robes and turban, calling out: “People of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, support your mujahideen brothers in every way possible. We are close to victory.”

His message foreshadowed the intensification of attacks in the region. Just weeks later, on May 11, GSIM fighters captured Djibo, a strategic northern city in Burkina Faso. In a follow-up video, Ousmane Dicko, the group’s second-in-command in Burkina Faso, reiterated similar rhetoric — urging civilians to distance themselves from “enemy zones” and warning of further operations to come.

Since then, the group has dramatically escalated its military activity. In Burkina Faso, towns such as Sollé (north) and Diapaga (east) have reportedly come under attack. The GSIM claimed responsibility for the deadly Djibo offensive, alleging it killed over 200 soldiers.

Meanwhile in Mali, the jihadist organization has also targeted military camps with deadly precision. On May 23, an assault on the army base in Dioura left around 40 soldiers dead, followed by a devastating attack on Boulikessi on June 1, where GSIM claims to have killed more than 100 military personnel.

These developments reflect a dangerous consolidation of power by GSIM, both militarily and ideologically. The group’s leadership not only seeks battlefield dominance but is also actively working to win over civilian populations and present itself as a legitimate alternative to weakened state structures in vast parts of the Sahel.