The report analyzes the operations and organizational structure of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the Sahel region of Africa. It focuses on the group’s engagement with illicit economies and the tactical use of economic warfare, emphasizing the central role of illicit economies in JNIM’s governance strategies and financing of its armed struggle. The report explores JNIM’s organizational evolution, its strategies for expansion and population control, and its unified yet locally flexible approach. JNIM’s engagement in illicit activities is linked to its war economy, but it also aims to enhance legitimacy and gain popular support. Economic warfare is highlighted as a vital component of JNIM’s overall strategy, overlapping with efforts to expand control over the population and weaken the state. The report forecasts JNIM’s continued growth and influence, emphasizing the importance of understanding its organizational dynamics for effective state responses in the Sahel region.
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