Secretariat’s work
University of Kent – Interactions between civilians and jihadists in Mali and Niger
19 April 2023 The study unpacks the relationships established between civilians and jihadists in areas of Mali and Niger under jhadist dominance, represented by local Al Qaeda and Islamic State branche, JNIM and IS Sahel.
The research is based on 150° interviews with civilians from the Cercle de Djenné (Mali), Gotheye (Niger) and Baleyara (Niger), as well as officials or civil society representatives in Bamako and Niamey.
The direction that the Sahelian crisis is taking crucially depends on the jihadists ability to propose a social contract to populations. which is what the study assesses.