A new report reveals that the jihadist group Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) has shifted its tactics in the Sahel region, moving away from direct attacks on healthcare workers and humanitarian aid providers.
Instead, the group is employing strategies of looting, abductions, and control over medical infrastructure to exert influence and undermine state authority.
A study by Tatiana Smirnova of FrancoPaix at the University of Sherbrooke, published in the latest FrancoPaix bulletin, analyzed JNIM’s activities in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger between 2022 and 2025. The findings indicate a decrease in direct attacks on healthcare and humanitarian personnel, but this does not signify a decrease in the overall threat.
Shifting tactics, persistent threat
While data shows a decline in security incidents targeting healthcare workers and humanitarians, Smirnova argues that this is due to a change in JNIM’s strategy rather than a weakening of the group. “The reduction in attacks isn’t due to JNIM weakening but reflects its shift in methods to tighten territorial control,” she explains.
JNIM is increasingly focusing on controlling healthcare infrastructure as a means of asserting its authority and weakening state presence. By looting medical supplies and equipment, the group disrupts access to essential healthcare services, forcing communities to rely on JNIM-controlled networks.
Targeted Violence and Intimidation
In Burkina Faso, JNIM has intensified the looting of health centers, pharmacies, and ambulances. Targeted killings of healthcare workers have also increased, aiming to dismantle independent medical services and instill fear.
In Mali, JNIM has resorted to targeted abductions of local authority figures, health facility managers, and healthcare workers to exert pressure and enforce compliance.
Imposed co-governance
Smirnova suggests that JNIM’s evolving tactics point towards a strategy of imposing co-governance in certain areas. By controlling access to healthcare and intimidating local populations, the group aims to establish its authority and integrate itself into local dynamics.
Challenges for humanitarian actors
This shift in tactics poses new challenges for humanitarian and healthcare organizations operating in the Sahel. The “silent climate of terror” created by JNIM’s indirect control makes it difficult to assess and predict security risks, complicating aid delivery and healthcare provision.
The report highlights the evolving nature of the threat posed by JNIM and underscores the need for humanitarian actors to adapt their strategies to navigate this complex and challenging environment. Access to healthcare is becoming a key battleground in the struggle for influence in the Sahel.
AC/sf/lb/abj/APA