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<\/p>\nThe Sahel region of Africa is witnessing a large presence of jihadist and terrorist organizations, especially al-Qaeda and ISIS, which are based in one of the most violent regions in the world, which has turned in recent decades into an open stage for the activity of terrorist groups, which depend for their survival on several sources of funding, including economic activity in these countries and the imposition of levies and ransoms.<\/p>\n
In addition, Western funds reach these countries under the guise of development, and ultimately fall into the hands of terrorists, in a region that has witnessed the killing of more than 77,000 people due to terrorism since 2015, representing about 501,000 victims of terrorism globally, according to the Global Terrorism Index.<\/p>\n
In light of the terrorist incursion into the Sahel countries, questions arise about the nature of the financing of these terrorist organizations, especially with regard to the funds coming from Western countries that reach the hands of armed groups. For example, the French move in the Sahel countries, especially after Paris withdrew from these countries during the past few years, and its method of fighting the governments of these countries whose policies do not agree with France.<\/p>\n
After the regime changes in a number of Sahel countries (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso) in recent years, the governments of these countries have begun to accuse the West of failing to combat terrorism, and sometimes even point out that Western policies have contributed to the worsening of the terrorism crisis in these countries by providing financial support to terrorist groups.<\/p>\n
According to what was reported earlier by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda in Mali said: \u201cMany Western countries pay huge sums to the jihadists. Our source of funding is the Western countries. They pay for jihad.\u201d.<\/p>\n
Western funds reach terrorist groups indirectly in the African Sahel countries, through development projects or humanitarian aid in conflict zones, where the groups exploit administrative and regulatory loopholes to divert some of these resources to their activities.<\/p>\n
Foreign interventions may also have political or geostrategic objectives, further complicating funding pathways and making it difficult to control the flow of funds, according to African press reports.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Sahel region of Africa has become the most prominent geographical center for the activity of terrorist groups worldwide, according to the Global Terrorism Index report issued in March 2026. This shift reflects a remarkable escalation in the pace and scope of terrorist operations, which indicates the growing external funding of terrorist groups, whether through direct support provided by some countries, or through charitable donation networks and digital platforms that are exploited for terrorist purposes.<\/p>\n
The French military presence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger ended between 2022 and 2024, after a historical era of political and economic influence and control over these countries, their resources, and their people. However, the French withdrawal from the Sahel countries did not end the existing relationship between France and the Sahel countries completely.<\/p>\n
Paris provides multifaceted funding under the guise of supporting development and stability in these countries, while this funding falls into the hands of terrorist groups and jihadist organizations that threaten the stability of the Sahel countries, in light of reports linking France\u2019s provision of this support with other forms of support for terrorists, with the aim of destabilizing governments in the Sahel region that are not cooperating with Paris.<\/p>\n
Over the past years, terrorist groups have kidnapped many French nationals in the Sahel countries, forcing France to pay huge sums of money for its kidnapped citizens.<\/p>\n
The last publicly announced deal was in 2022, which included a sum of money paid for the last French hostage and the release of 145 leaders of jihadist groups who were in prisons in Bamako, including foreigners, who were transported via a French Airlines plane and handed over to the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
According to press reports, these sums paid by Paris reached the terrorists through intermediaries, or directly through the French in some cases. In one instance, the French even transported the ransom payments to al-Qaeda via their combat helicopters to ensure its arrival in northern Mali.<\/p>\n
According to a study by the British Overseas Development Institute (ODI), even after France was expelled from the Sahel region, the activities of French agencies did not stop. The French Development Agency (AFD) transferred its funding directly to non-governmental organizations and continued to operate in areas where jihadists were present through these organizations, which is considered a circumvention mechanism.<\/p>\n
France has funded several entities in the Sahel countries over the past years, including the Sahel Alliance, the Minka Sahel Initiative, and the Sahel Fund. These are three main instruments funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union. These programs have invested more than 13 billion euros in projects in the five Sahel countries \u2013 Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania, and Chad \u2013 during the period 2018-2025.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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