Hassane Kone | ISS Africa

JNIM’s blockades have become a strategic weapon that threatens regional commerce and the Malian army, and harms civilians.

The threat of a terrorist blockade of Mali’s Kayes and Nioro towns would be disastrous for all three countries.

As armed groups shift away from direct confrontations with the military, commercial drones are increasingly used to carry out attacks.

Despite a recent surge in terrorist attacks, the region is more at risk of fragmentation than centralised jihadist rule.

Without guarantees, President Ghazouani’s dialogue – the country’s sixth – could widen the political divisions that threaten stability.

The latest tensions are a wake-up call for the AU, which has lost influence in the Sahel-Saharan region.

Security sector reforms that began well before the country’s two coups still suffer from a lack of effective civil society participation.

Attacks using improvised explosive devices are among the deadliest. They require flexible responses that match terror groups’ changing tactics.

This report examines the processes used to manage coups, and recommends how they could be improved.

Stability in West Africa requires that both organisations take pragmatic and flexible approaches, and learn from past mistakes.

Instead of serving as shields for Europe, African countries should pursue a common approach that puts their citizens first.

With ECOWAS sanctions lifted, the military authorities must rapidly set the course for Niger to return to civilian rule.