Intelligence Insight: The Financial Lifelines of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Evolution of Terrorist Economies in the Sahel
Ujasusi Blog’s Terrorism Monitor Desk | 24 August 2025 | 0415 BST
🧠 Executive Summary
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the Sahel, has demonstrated remarkable financial resilience. Despite increased regional and international counterterrorism operations, JNIM sustains itself by embedding deeply in illicit economies across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Through strategic control over artisanal gold mining, kidnapping for ransom, livestock theft, and money laundering, the group has not only financed warfare but also embedded itself within local economies and communities. This intelligence insight unpacks JNIM’s economic model, exposing the sophisticated financial underpinnings of jihadist survival and expansion in West Africa.