The administration is considering military strikes against the al-Qaeda-affiliated group JNIM in Mali.
The administration is reportedly weighing military action against JNIM, an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group in Mali. If approved, these strikes would mark the eighth nation targeted by the president since the start of his second term. The administration has previously ordered strikes in Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and Venezuela. Sebastian Gorka, the National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, is a primary proponent of using brute force in Mali. However, some experts, including Wassim Nasr of the Soufan Center, argue that a military solution may be less effective than conflict resolution, noting that both French and Russian forces have struggled to stabilize the region over the past decade. The administration has expressed dissatisfaction with Russia's performance as a security partner in Mali, which has turned into a major terrorism hotspot. To counter this, the administration is urging regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States and is encouraging African governments to purchase U.S. equipment to combat the growing threat of JNIM and ISIS.