West African Al Qaeda paralyzes Sahel and Gulf of Guinea [WIVE]

Since 2021, JNIM, or the Sahel group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has consistently remained the most active non-state actor in the region. The bloody toll that Jama’at collects is exacerbating a political crisis that is spilling to the western part of the African continent. What led to the appearance of al-Qaeda in the Sahel countries? What are the marks of JNIM? What distinguishes the Group from another terrorist actors? What are the characteristics of JNIM’s relation with groups affiliated with the muslim State? Can Al-Qaeda's cell be referred to as a criminal group? An chance Institute expert for abroad Affairs, Paweł Wójcik, agreed to answer these questions.