Mali's al Qaeda-linked JNIM eases brutality in captured areas

Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the al Qaeda‑affiliated militant group that controls parts of central Mali, has shifted from overt violence to a softer form of rule. Residents say militants now collect taxes on crops and livestock, distribute food, medicine and animals, and intervene in local land disputes. "Now, they don’t talk like that," said Amadou, a herder from the village of Poutchi, noting the reduced threats against villagers.

The change follows JNIM’s growth after the 2020 coup that expelled about 15,000 French and UN troops and invited Russian mercenaries to assist the Malian army. Earlier this year the group carried out high‑profile attacks, including the Bamako airport strike and the killing of the defence minister. Experts say the group is now trying to govern its strongholds to gain legitimacy. "The stronger they have become, the less brutal they have to be," observed Sahel specialist Corinne Dufka. The United Nations has warned that the expanding network of al Qaeda and ISIS‑linked militants across the Sahel poses a growing global threat.