Deadly Ambush in Niger: Conflict and Instability in the Sahel Region

Niger has reported an ambush killing 21 soldiers near its border with Burkina Faso, a move attributed to a “terrorist group” that has been battling several armed groups.

The group, led by Salah Mahmoud, took up arms after the junta staged a coup last year. Niger and neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso are also grappling with a decade-long conflict linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist group.

The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced over 2 million people. Both Mali and Burkina Faso are led by juntas and have experienced two coups each since 2020. Both juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenaries to quell the Islamist groups.