Sahel: Clashes between jihadist groups spread to Niger, a sign of regional escalation

Fighting between rival jihadist groups in the Sahel has escalated further by spreading to Niger, according to information released by one of the groups. This development marks a worrying intensification of the rivalry between factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Until now, these clashes had mainly pitted Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), linked to Al-Qaeda, against the Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP) in Mali and Burkina Faso. But for the first time, fighting has been reported on Nigerien territory, in the Tillabéri region, in the west of the country.

According to a statement from the ISSP, its fighters attacked a JNIM position in early April, claiming to have killed 35 members of the rival group and seized weapons and motorcycles. This operation is believed to be a response to a previous JNIM attack on a village in the same region.

Since their first clashes in 2019, the two organizations have fought hundreds of times, resulting in more than 2,100 deaths according to data from the monitoring group ACLED. This violent rivalry is part of a struggle for influence and control of territory and resources in an already fragile region.

Analysts believe that this expansion of fighting in Niger reflects the weakening of state control in certain areas of the Sahel. The lack of security coordination between the countries involved also exacerbates the situation, leaving the field open to the expansion of armed groups.

Furthermore, human rights organizations have accused the ISSP of deadly attacks against civilians in the Tillabéri region. JNIM has not publicly reacted to the latest clashes and could not be reached for comment.

This new phase of the conflict underlines the continued deterioration of security in the Sahel, where the proliferation of armed actors and the intensification of internal rivalries further complicate any prospect of lasting stabilization.