The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) has almost doubled the territory it controls in Mali in less than a year.

Reports suggest that the West African nation is grappling with significant changes in its security landscape. A concerning revelation by the UN details that territories under the ISGS jihadists’ control have almost doubled within a year, reviving memories of the 2012 crisis. Following a military coup, rebels swiftly carved out an Islamic State in Mali’s north in 2012. Later, France intervened and restored a tenuous order.

A 2015 Peace Agreement aimed at cementing stability, involving negotiations with various armed groups, was struck. Yet, the deal’s inefficiency and the armed groups that were a part o the deal appearing powerless in the face of attacks from ISGS attacks has provided a window for the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNM) to gain traction in northern Mali.

The al-Qaeda-affiliate is increasingly presenting itself as the only force capable of shielding communities from ISGS threats. Competition between the two Islamist groups is aggravating the volatility of the region.

While France’s influence recedes, Russia’s Wagner Group, a private military company, has been emerging as a significant player. However, recent reports suggest the death of Wagner Group’s head, potentially impacting their operational capacity in the region.

This, combined with the departure of the UN Peacekeeping Force, MINUSMA, renders Mali’s future and its implications for the Sahel region increasingly uncertain.

Source: GeopoliticsNext (Instagram)

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das