Sahel nations rally against rising terror threat after deadly attacks

The African Union recently issued an urgent appeal for regional cooperation, calling on nations to work together in a more structured way to stamp out the threat posed by extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

The move sends a strong signal that African nations will not tolerate the ongoing acts of terrorism perpetrated by groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" West Africa Province (ISIS-West Africa).

And it makes it clear that such groups will face an uphill battle as nations close ranks against them.

The region faces challenges too complex for any single nation to tackle alone, security experts told Salaam Times, noting that only coordinated action and international backing can effectively address this threat.

The African Union made its appeal after al-Qaeda-affiliated Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) killed 54 soldiers in northern Benin on April 17 at military posts in a national park near the border with Niger and Burkina Faso.

The Mali-based group's "cowardly" attack "highlights the urgent need for enhanced cooperation between neighboring states," African Union Commission chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said in a statement.

Following the April attack, Benin government spokesman Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji said his country was determined to continue to fight terrorism.

"We won't give in... I can assure you that sooner or later, sooner or later, we will win," he said in a BBC report.

Collective cooperation

The African Union's swift response shows regional and international communities are taking the fight against extremist groups seriously, said security affairs expert Mohammad Nasim Moradi of the Center for Peace Studies in France.

"Countries in the Sahel have concluded that, to confront terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda that operate across their shared borders, there is no option but collective cooperation," he said.

Countries like Benin and Togo have joined security frameworks already to combat the southward spread of terrorism, he told Salaam Times.

The situation demands security coordination to prevent terrorist groups from exploiting border weaknesses, said Ankara-based political analyst Mohammad Sarwar Nemati.

"When the African Union and Sahel countries call for urgent cooperation, it’s not just a political appeal, it’s a practical necessity," he told Salaam Times.

"It must go beyond simple information exchange and evolve into daily coordination of military and security operations."

Determined to fight back

A string of recent attacks underscores the need for collective efforts.

JNIM claimed responsibility for a May 11 attack in northern Burkina Faso that killed more than 100 people, most of them soldiers, at a military base and in the town of Djibo, the Associated Press reported.

In January, armed attackers killed at least 40 farmers in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, according to Amnesty International and other sources.

The assault was likely carried out by Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, state governor Babagana Umara Zulum and information commissioner Usman Tar said.

In June 2024, JNIM killed more than 100 Burkina Faso soldiers in the Mansila area near the border with Niger. And in February, it carried out a suicide car bombing and an assault on a Malian military camp near Mourdiah, killing 30.