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Nearly nine months after rebel groups imposed a fuel blockade on Mali's capital, the conflict has escalated dramatically, threatening to destabilize the entire Sahel without urgent diplomatic intervention. The JNIM and Tuareg separatists have coordinated attacks, killing Mali's defense minister and gaining ground, while the junta's abrogation of peace accords and expulsion of French forces have deepened the crisis.
In Mauritania, female religious guides are at the forefront of combating extremism through dialogue and community trust, offering a unique preventive model in the Sahel. Trained by the government since 2021, they work in schools, prisons, and youth centers to counter radicalization. Their efforts have helped Mauritania avoid the violence that afflicts its neighbors.
Armed groups in Mali are securing significant victories and tightening control over the north following a series of major attacks on government forces. The weakening military and power vacuum are plunging the West African nation into a deep security crisis, threatening stabilization efforts in the Sahel region.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a report alleging that investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon has been secretly detained since June 2024 in a villa turned into a prison in Ouagadougou, contradicting the military government's claim of conscription. RSF reports that detainees faced threats of execution, beatings, and starvation, and urged the immediate release of Oulon, who had angered the junta with his corruption exposés. The junta has increasingly cracked down on dissent, banning political parties and civil-society groups while fighting Islamist insurgencies.
Russia's role in Mali and the Sahel is under scrutiny after large-scale coordinated attacks by armed groups, including the seizure of Kidal and the killing of Mali's defense minister. Russian Africa Corps forces withdrew from Kidal, raising questions about the effectiveness of their military partnership with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Analysts say the attacks have damaged Russia's credibility as a security provider in the region.
A coordinated attack by JNIM and Tuareg rebels inflicted heavy losses on Mali's government army and Russian mercenaries, killing the defense minister and seizing the town of Kidal. Analysts say the Islamist fighters seek to negotiate concessions rather than fully control the country, as state power continues to erode.
