Insurgents reshaping Mali: Tuaregs seek autonomy, jihadists pursue caliphate across Sahel

Annette Young is pleased to welcome Nina Wilen, Director of the Africa Programme at the Egmont Institute. According to Ms. Wilen, the insurgency in Mali reflects shifting power balances across the Sahel. What we are witnessing is not simply a surge in violence, but a reconfiguration of authority, where Tuareg rebels and jihadist groups, particularly the JNIM, have steadily expanded their operational capacity while state and international actors have lost ground. The recent coordinated attacks signal that they can strike at the heart of the state, yet they may not seek to govern it directly.