Summary:

On 28 April 2025, the Timbuktu Institute, a Senegalese research group, released a report highlighting a significant escalation in jihadist activities by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, in Western Mali along the border with Mauritania and Senegal. 

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The report indicates that JNIM has expanded its operations into the Kayes region, raising concerns about the potential spread of extremist violence into Mali’s neighboring countries. 

According to Timbuktu Institute Director Bakary Sambe, JNIM’s main objective is to cut off supply routes to Bamako with the dual aim of delegitimizing the Malian authorities and creating economic networks that can finance their activities in the region. 

The report also highlights that JNIM has taken advantage of the region’s porous borders and increasing interethnic tensions, utilizing both coercive tactics and social influence to expand their reach. 

Earlier this month, both Mauritania and Senegal aimed to enhance their military cooperation when Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces, General Birame Diop, and his Mauritanian counterpart, General Hanana Sidi Sidi met to discuss mechanisms for strengthening military cooperation between the two countries. 

Outlook: 

While Mauritania maintains relatively stable, increasing jihadist activity by JNIM in western Mali poses a security threat for the country, particularly given its shared border. 

Mauritania will likely respond by reinforcing border security and expanding counterterrorism activities in the area. This could involve deeper cooperation with neighboring Senegal and international partners to share intelligence and strengthen military responses to observed extremist activity. 

Mauritania’s management of the border with Mali has been the source of tensions in the past, with irregular migration of Malians and individuals from other countries frequently entering Mauritania. While creating tension on the ground, the two governments appear broadly aligned and cooperative to this point. 

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