✦ History

War in the Sahel

February 15, 2011

Jihadist groups, Tuareg separatists, local militias, national armies and foreign forces have fought across the Sahel. The violence spread from Mali to Burkina Faso and Niger and has killed many civilians.

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Battles 2

August 1, 2014 – November 9, 2022
Operation Barkhane Failure of French forces in suppressing jihadists Sahel François Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Honoré Traoré
August 23, 2015
Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba

Key commanders

Alliance of Sahel States 26

Barack Obama belligerent leader Donald Trump belligerent leader Joe Biden belligerent leader Nicolas Sarkozy belligerent leader Emmanuel Macron belligerent leader Vladimir Putin belligerent leader Abdelmadjid Tebboune belligerent leader Romuald Wadagni belligerent leader Patrice Talon belligerent leader Thomas Boni Yayi belligerent leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba belligerent leader Roch Marc Christian Kaboré belligerent leader Ibrahim Traoré belligerent leader Alassane Ouattara belligerent leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta belligerent leader Assimi Goïta belligerent leader Bah Ndaw belligerent leader Dioncounda Traoré belligerent leader Amadou Toumani Touré belligerent leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz belligerent leader Mohamed Ould Ghazouani belligerent leader Mahamadou Issoufou belligerent leader Mohamed Bazoum belligerent leader Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé belligerent leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan belligerent leader Yunus-bek Yevkurov military commander

Al-Qaeda 6

Abubakar Shekau belligerent leader Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi military commander Iyad Ag Ghaly military commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar military commander Ibrahim Malam Dicko military commander Abdelmalek Droukdel military commander

France and allies 47

François Hollande belligerent leader Emmanuel Macron belligerent leader Honoré Traoré military commander Michel Kafando belligerent leader Yacouba Isaac Zida belligerent leader Chérif Sy belligerent leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba belligerent leader Blaise Compaoré belligerent leader Roch Marc Christian Kaboré belligerent leader Ibrahim Traoré belligerent leader Gilbert Diendéré belligerent leader Luc-Adolphe Tiao belligerent leader Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré belligerent leader Albert Ouédraogo belligerent leader Lassina Zerbo belligerent leader Paul Kaba Thieba belligerent leader Albert Pahimi Padacké belligerent leader Kalzeubet Pahimi Deubet belligerent leader Saleh Kebzabo belligerent leader Idriss Déby military commander Mahamat Déby military commander Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta belligerent leader Choguel Kokalla Maïga belligerent leader Moctar Ouane belligerent leader Moussa Mara belligerent leader Boubou Cisse belligerent leader Abdoulaye Maïga belligerent leader Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga belligerent leader Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga belligerent leader Assimi Goïta belligerent leader Bah Ndaw belligerent leader Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir belligerent leader Mohamed Ould Bilal belligerent leader Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf belligerent leader Ismail Ould Bedde Ould Cheikh Sidiya belligerent leader Yahya Ould Hademine belligerent leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz belligerent leader Mohamed Ould Ghazouani military commander Mahamadou Issoufou belligerent leader Mohamed Bazoum belligerent leader Brigi Rafini belligerent leader Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou belligerent leader Manuel Valls belligerent leader Bernard Cazeneuve belligerent leader Édouard Philippe belligerent leader Jean Castex belligerent leader Élisabeth Borne belligerent leader