Intense clashes between rival jihadist factions claim hundreds of deaths in the Sahel

Since September, the Sahelian wings of the Islamic State (EIS) and Al-Qaeda’s JNIM have engaged in unprecedentedly violent clashes in the border region that straddles Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, with each group claiming hundreds of enemy combatants killed. EIS announced that more than 400 JNIM fighters, including several commanders, were slain in a Friday battle in Oudalan province, a figure that would surpass an earlier claim of 200 kills in the same area.

UN experts describe the fighting as the most lethal direct confrontation between an Al-Qaeda branch and a Daesh affiliate worldwide. Data from ACLED and journalist collective Wamaps indicate that the two groups have fought over 320 engagements since 2019, resulting in about 2,200 deaths. The conflict is driven by a contest for the same recruitment pools, border routes and local support, with EIS expanding from its Mali base into Niger and even north-west Nigeria, linking with ISWAP.

Ideological differences also fuel the rivalry: JNIM embeds itself locally and targets state forces, while EIS pursues a transnational caliphate agenda. Despite heavy losses, analysts say JNIM remains the dominant terrorist threat in the Sahel, fielding 7,000-8,000 fighters against EIS’s roughly 2,000.