Niger’s Western Security Belt Becomes the Sahel’s Main Battleground

Africa · Western Key Facts —Violence surge. Attacks on civilians in western Niger rose more than 120% in 2025 compared with 2023, making Tillabéri the deadliest region in the Central Sahel. —Jihadist infighting. In April 2026, Islamic State Sahel Province and al-Qaeda-linked JNIM fought each other inside Niger for the first time, signalling a territorial…