The world's major conflict zones — what's happening, who's involved, and what comes next.
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Critical
SAHEL — VILLAGE DUSK
Mali's slow descent into chaos began with the 2012 Tuareg rebellion and has accelerated through three coups, the expulsion of French forces, and the arrival of Russia's Africa Corps. JNIM and ISGS now control vast rural territories. The wider Sahel — Burkina Faso, Niger — is following the same trajectory, creating an arc of jihadist influence stretching from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.
Parties Involved
🇲🇱 Mali Junta (FAMa)Africa Corps (Wagner)JNIM (Al-Qaeda)ISGS (ISIS affiliate)
What Happens Next
LikelyInsurgency expands further south. Wagner deepens grip on the junta. ECOWAS remains paralysed.
RiskJunta collapse creates a jihadist corridor from Mali to the Gulf of Guinea coast.