Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen | |
---|---|
Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans | |
![]() | |
Leaders | Iyad Ag Ghaly |
Dates of operation | 2 March 2017 – present |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Headquarters | Tinzaouaten[2] |
Active regions | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ideology | Salafi Jihadism |
Size | 2,000-3,000 (2022 estimate) 5,000-6,000 (2024 estimate)[3] |
Part of | ![]() |
Allies | ![]() ![]() |
Opponents | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battles and wars | the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002-present) and the Northern Mali conflict |
Designated as a terrorist group by | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/MaliWar.svg/250px-MaliWar.svg.png)
Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (Arabic: جماعة نصرة الإسلام والمسلمين, JNIM; French: Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans, GSIM;[7] lit. ' Support Group for Islam and Muslims') is a militant jihadist organisation in the Maghreb and West Africa formed by the merger of Ansar Dine, the Macina Liberation Front, al-Mourabitoun and the Saharan branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[8] Its leaders swore allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri.[9]
In 2022, the Economist noted that JNIM is the fastest-growing terrorist group globally.[10]
History
[edit]On 2 March 2017, Iyad Ag Ghaly, Al Murabitoun's deputy leader, Hassan Al Ansari, Yahya Abu Hammam, Amadou Kouffa, and Abu Abderaham al-Sanhaji appeared in a video declaring the creation of Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, and their allegiance to al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, AQIM's Emir, Abdelmalek Droukdel, and Taliban Emir, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
They also praised killed al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.[11][12] On 16 March, Abdelmalek Droukdel released an audio message, approving the union between the groups.[13] On 19 March, Al-Qaeda issued a statement approving the new group and accepting their oath of allegiance.[14]
Two leaders sanctioned by the US Treasury's office were named as Ali Maychou and Bah Ag Moussa. Moussa was a former Malian army colonel who led an operation in March 2019 against the Malian Armed Forces base in Dioura that killed at least 21 Malian soldiers. Maychou was a native of Morocco who had claimed responsibility for a JNIM attack on a military camp that housed Malian troops in Gao, killing dozens. The Treasury office said Maychou held an operational role in JNIM's activities, while Moussa acted on behalf of JNIM's leader Iyad Ag Ghaly.[15] In 2021, two additional leaders were designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists: Sidan Ag Hitta and Salem ould Breihmatt.[16]
The French government declared that 50 jihadists linked to the al-Qaeda group were killed in central Mali during an operation launched by the French anti-jihadist Barkhane force on 30 October 2020. The French force also confiscated arms and material and captured four of the jihadists live, as per French Defense Minister Florence Parly.[17] The French authorities also confirmed the death of a key JNIM leader Bah ag Moussa with four of his group. He was in charge of terrorist operations and training new extremist recruits.[18] France has deployed more than 5,000 troops in the Sahel region to combat insurgents.
On March 29, 2021, a force of about 100 members raided a camp of UN Peacekeepers in Northern Mali, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the Algerian border. Four of the Chadian Peacekeepers were killed in the assault, and 34 wounded. Initial reports suggested that approximately 20 of the jihadists had been killed, a number that was later revised to 40, including Abdallaye Ag Albaka. Ag Albaka was described as "a right-hand man to Iyad Ag Ghaly", and unofficially as the Number 3 man in the organization.[19]
Activity
[edit]JNIM claimed on 28th of July 2024 a “complex ambush” had wiped out a convoy, killing 50 Russians and a number of Malian soldiers, and published videos showing several vehicles ablaze as well as dozens of bodies in the area. A Tuareg militant group spokesman said some Malian troops and Russian fighters had also been captured during the battle. According to some unofficial Russian Telegram channels, as many as 80 Russians were killed.
That would make it by far the worst loss for Russian paramilitaries in several years of operating in Africa, as the Kremlin has sought to use proxy forces to challenge Western influence across the Sahel and central Africa and prop up unstable regimes.[20]
Aims and support
[edit]The Center for Strategic and International Studies describes JNIM as "an al Qaeda-affiliated Salafi-jihadist insurgent organization that seeks to replace established state authority with a conservative interpretation of Islamic law."[5]
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies has said that JNIM does not have wide popular support.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ "JNIM as a foreign terrorist organization".
- ^ Pellerin, Mathieu (November 2019). "Armed violence in the Sahara" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-23. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "S/2024/556". United Nations. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Un nouveau mouvement djihadiste est né au Burkina Faso". Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Examining Extremism: Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin". Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ^ "Iraqi, international co-operation to end terror financing". Archived from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
- ^ Buchanan, Elsa (3 April 2017). "Mali: Terror threat spreads after Sahel groups join forces to create new jihadist alliance". Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ "Al-Qaeda now has a united front in Africa's troubled Sahel region". Newsweek. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ "Three Islamic extremist groups of Mali merge, pledge to al-Qaida". Business Standard India. Associated Press. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017 – via Business Standard.
- ^ "The world's centre of terrorism has shifted to the Sahel". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ "Al Qaeda branch rallies jihadists to join forces after Mali merger". Reuters. 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin / Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) -- AQIM, Ansar Dine, Macina Liberation Front & Mourabitounes Coalition - Terrorist Groups - TRAC". Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ @Rita_Katz (20 March 2017). "2) Message comes 2days after #AQIM..." (Tweet). Retrieved 12 April 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ @Terror_Monitor (19 March 2017). "#AlQaeda Central Welcomes Merger Of..." (Tweet). Retrieved 12 April 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Two leaders of Mali al-Qaeda affiliate put on US terrorism list after attacks". Al Arabiya. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ 86 FR 44465
- ^ "French airstrikes kill over 50 people in Mali". DW.com. 3 November 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "French military kills Al Qaeda-linked commander Bah ag Moussa, four others in Mali". FirstPost / AP news agency. 14 November 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Several Dozen Jihadists, Including Commander, Killed in Mali: UN". The Defense Post. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ Tarasova, Tim Lister, Avery Schmitz, Darya (2024-07-29). "Dozens of Russian mercenaries killed in rebel ambush in Mali, in their worst known loss in Africa". CNN. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Puzzle of JNIM and Militant Islamist Groups in the Sahel". Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction