Islamist insurgency in the Sahel

Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
	Part of the war on terror and spillover of the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
	; Map showing areas where the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara operates
Date	15 February 2011 – present; (13 years, 2 months)
Location	Sahel (mainly Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger)
Status	Ongoing Mali War: Tuareg rebels and allied Islamists overrun Northern Mali in 2012 until pushed back by a French intervention; Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso: Mali War spills over into Burkina Faso by 2015 as Islamists capture about 40% of Burkinabé territory; Boko Haram insurgency arises in Nigeria and extends in Chad, Niger, and Cameroon; Jihadist insurgency in Niger; French and American intervention on behalf of governments; Rise of the coup belt;
Belligerents
Local governments:; Mali; Burkina Faso; Niger; Nigeria; Cameroon; Chad; Togo; Ghana; Ivory Coast; Benin MINUSMA (2013–2023); AFISMA (from 2013) Supported by: France ; United Kingdom ; United States ; Germany ; Sweden ; Czech Republic ; Netherlands ; Denmark ; Turkey Wagner Group ;	Al-Qaeda and allies: AQIM (from 2007); JNIM (from 2017) Al-Mourabitoun (2013–17); Ansar Dine (2012–17); MUJAO (2011–13); Macina Liberation Front (2015–17); Ansar al-Sharia of Mali (2012–present); Ansar ul Islam (2016–present); Al-Mulathameen; Al-Shabaab; Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat remnants; Ansar al-Sharia of Mauritania; National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (2012) IS-GS; Boko Haram (from 2006, partially aligned with ISIL since 2015); ISWAP; Ansaru Islamic Movement of Nigeria
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Unknown
Strength
Total armed forces:; Mali: 7,350; AFISMA: 2,900; Niger: 12,000; Chad: 30,350 ; France: 5,100 deployed in the Sahel; Supported by:; United States: 1,325+ advisors, trainers	AQIM (former GSPC): 1,000–4,000 ; MUJAO: ~500 ; Al-Mourabitoun: Fewer than 100 ; Ansar Dine: 300–10,000 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISWAP: 6,000–20,000;
Casualties and losses
	Mali: 3,300+ killed (2012–17);

An Islamist insurgency has been ongoing in the Sahel region of West Africa since the 2011 Arab Spring. In particular, the intensive conflict in the three countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has been referred to as the Sahel War.

The conflict is generally seen to have begun during the early stages of the Mali War, which itself was seen as a spillover conflict of the Insurgency in the Maghreb. As Islamist Tuareg rebels overran Mali in 2012, a concurrent insurgency in Nigeria, led by Boko Haram, began to spread to nearby countries. By 2015, the Mali war had spread to Burkina Faso and Niger, which led to heavy fighting and humanitarian crises in both countries. The conflict in Nigeria also reached a climax before a coalition offensive forced insurgents into remission. By 2019, the effects of the region-wide conflict began to accelerate due to resentment within the populace and due to alleged inability to handle the conflict. These views led to a series of coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan, Chad and Guinea, which led to the region being labeled a 'coup belt'.

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