Why extremist militias are on the rise in the West African Sahel | DW News

The West Sahel is becoming Africa's hotbed of terrorism. The Sahel is dry, hot and vast, so it's difficult to govern. That provides room for criminals who've trafficked people, weapons and drugs for years. People are being displaced in the Sahel, by the thousands every single day. They're running away from violence perpetrated by extremist groups. Last year more than 700,00 people fled their homes. Among the perpetrators of the violence are islamist militant groups like Boko Haram, ISGS and JNIM, which are known to massacre communities and raze entire villages. These groups have become a constant threat and now control large parts of the region. Armed militias are gaining ground, despite massive military interventions.These groups have resources and man power.
Mali has been most affected by the crisis and it's the country where it all began. In 2012 seperatists and groups linked to al-qaeda took over the northern part of the country. Military efforts to flush them out were unsuccessful.
And now barely a decade later, armed groups are popping up in other parts of Mali. To date, much of the conflict has been between the country's two dominant ethnic groups, the muslim Fulani and the Dogon.
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