Russia v. Ukraine – in an African Desert
EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — The column of Malian government soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the former Wagner Group was advancing through a shallow valley in the […] More
Mali
Al-Qaeda is Strengthening Its Networks Throughout the Sahel
Bottom Line Up Front Al-Qaeda maintains a stronger position in the Sahel than Islamic State-affiliated groups. Although Western targets have been struck in recent […] More
Sectarian Violence and Jihadist Terrorism in West Africa
Bottom Line Up Front Increasing sectarian violence has destabilized once peaceful Burkina Faso, transforming the country into a hotbedof militant jihadist activity. Fighters linked […] More
Terrorist Violence Spikes in Mali
Bottom Line Up Front In March, 130 civilians were killed in an attack in the Mopti region of central Mali, where a growing security […] More
The Latest
Jihadist Terrorism Threatens to Destabilize Burkina Faso and Its Neighbors
Bottom Line Up Front Since 2016, there have been more than 230 terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, which threatens to destabilize the landlocked West […] More
Infighting Threatens Mali Peace, Creating Space for Al Qaida
Bottom Line: A 2015 peace accord between the Mali government and ethnic Tuaregs in the north of the country has failed to produce economic or […] More
ISIS Eyes Sahel As Next Safe Haven
ISIS has lost approximately 95 percent of the territory it once controlled across Syria and Iraq. The group may now set its sights on establishing […] More
African Joint Force to “Bring the Fight & Terror” to Militants
Five African nations who formed a new counterterrorism force conducted their first joint operation this week in the tri-border area between Mali, Niger and Burkina […] More
Al Qaeda Thrives Across Weak West African States
Earlier this year, The Cipher Brief examined the deteriorating security situation across North Africa, contending that al Qaeda’s regional offshoot, al Qaeda in the Islamic […] More
Economic Development in West Africa Can Counter Terror
Although the United States counterterrorism campaign is focused on key battlegrounds in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, the threat posed by al Qaeda in […] More
Sahel Governments Need More Security Assistance
Developments in the Sahel are cause for real alarm. Insecurity in northern and central Mali, the epicenter of much of the region’s al Qaeda-related violence, […] More
Deadly Burkina Faso Attack Bears Hallmark of Al Qaeda
Early Monday morning, at least two terrorists attacked a prominent Turkish café in the Burkina Faso capital city of Ouagadougou, leaving nearly 20 people dead […] More
Mali’s Instability: Advantage, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) propensity for kidnapping was back on display earlier this week, as al Qaeda’s North African branch released a […] More
Mali’s Persistent Jihadist Problem
Four years ago, French forces intervened in Mali, successfully averting an al Qaeda-backed thrust toward the capital of Bamako. The French operation went a long […] More
AQIM Ten Years On
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) emergence ten years ago this month was a Hail Mary. In 2004, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had orchestrated […] More
Hotel Security in the Wake of Mali
The Cipher Brief spoke with Hans Kanold, CEO of SafeHotels Alliance, a standards organization for hotel security. TCB spoke with Kanold about the siege of […] More
What You Need to Know
The Cipher Brief reached out to Dr. Geoff Porter, the founder of North Africa Risk Consulting, to get his take on security trends in Mali […] More
Travel in High-Threat Environments
The Cipher Brief spoke with Kathleen McChesney about hotel and personal security in the wake of the attack against the Radisson Hotel in Bamako, Mali. […] More
Putting Mali in Context
Osama bin Laden would be a happy man were he still alive. His hopes and dreams have seemingly come to fruition. And, the master plan […] More