Al Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Overrun Mali Army Base: The Sahel’s Deepening Crisis
Introduction
On June 1, 2025, the central Sahel region was once again thrust into the international spotlight when Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-affiliated group, launched a devastating assault on a Malian military base near Boulkessi, close to the Burkina Faso border. The attack resulted in the deaths of over 30 Malian soldiers and forced the army to abandon its position.
