Summary
- Militants in the Sahel region, with links to al Qaeda or Islamic State, carried out a brazen attack in Mali’s capital.
- Conflict in the Sahel region is contributing to increased migration towards Europe.
- Extremist groups are gaining ground and spreading geographically, posing a threat of establishing jihadi states.
- Western powers have limited capacity on the ground to combat militants in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.