(Adnkronos) – The Trump Administration is considering launching military operations in Mali against the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Jnim), affiliated with al-Qaeda and currently considered the most dangerous armed group in the Sahel. This was revealed by the Washington Post, citing current and former US officials familiar with the discussions.
According to sources, no decision has yet been made within the Administration, and disagreements remain on the advisability of authorizing the raids. Among the main proponents of the military option is counter-terrorism director Sebastian Gorka.
If approved, the operation would make Mali the eighth country hit by attacks ordered by Trump since the beginning of his second term, after Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and Venezuela.
When questioned by the newspaper, the White House did not confirm the military plans, merely reiterating that Washington is encouraging North and West African governments to purchase US military equipment and services to strengthen the fight against terrorism. An official called terrorism in the Sahel “a multinational problem” and urged regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – in the war against Jnim and the Islamic State.
However, the same sources attribute the failure of the security strategy in Mali to Russia, claiming that Moscow “has proven to be an ineffective partner” in the fight against jihadist groups. After military coups, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger largely ceased cooperation with the West, relying on Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group, later replaced by the Africa Corps, linked to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In recent years, Jnim has consolidated its control over vast areas of Mali and extended its attacks to West African coastal countries. In 2025, the group imposed a fuel supply blockade that paralyzed much of the country, and this year it launched coordinated offensives, conquering strategic cities and claiming responsibility for a suicide attack in which the Malian Defense Minister, Sadio Camara, died.
According to the Washington Post, a possible direct intervention by the United States would also entail the risk of incidents with Russian forces present in the country and would necessitate a military coordination mechanism between Washington and Moscow, similar to that adopted during the war in Syria.
