Dakar, June 22, 2026 (AFP) - Not just a hideout: Sahel forests provide base for jihadists

NAMPA / AFP
2026-06-22
Along Mali's National Route 6, a major thoroughfare connecting the capital to the country's centre, the army has reshaped the landscape: the vegetation from the surrounding forest has been cleared in anticipation of jihadist ambushes. Armed groups use forest areas both as refuge and a base for launching deadly attacks on roads across Africa's Sahel region. In Mali, jihadists from JNIM, Al-Qaeda's Sahel branch, operate from the vast 80,000-hectare......
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OKAKARARA, 17 June 2026 - The Chief Executive Officer of Okakarara Town Council, Ernst Katjiku speaks on Wednesday evening about his exit from the council before end of this year. (Photo by: Mulisa Simiyasa) NAMPA

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