Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Mali

Country Overview:  Throughout 2024, al-Qa’ida affiliate JNIM and ISIS-GS launched numerous high-impact attacks on state forces, militias, and civilians, expanding their reach in Mali.  In July, Tuareg and Arab rebels, cooperating with JNIM, killed dozens of Wagner Group mercenaries and Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) members near Tinzawaten on the Mali-Algeria border.  JNIM then launched several offensives, including coordinated attacks on Bamako that targeted a gendarmerie camp and the international airport.  Malian security agencies face significant staffing, training, equipment, and resource shortages that limit their ability to counter, investigate, and prosecute terrorist activity.

Mali’s new penal code and criminal procedure code entered into force in December, criminalizing association with terrorism, concealment of terrorists, and terrorist recruitment. The FAMa remains responsible for domestic counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.  In April, Mali established the Rapid Intervention Force to combat criminal and terrorist organizations.  The Gendarmerie, National Police, and Special Intervention Brigade (BIS) provide security and law-enforcement support to deter and prevent criminal and terrorist activity; BIS works closely with U.S. law enforcement on international terrorism cases.  Mali’s border security challenges remained acute.  The country’s vast, porous borders stretch roughly 4,500 miles across seven neighboring states, enabling terrorist movement across the Sahel. Mali remained on the FATF gray list in 2024 but undertook key reforms:  strengthening investigative and prosecutorial capacity for terrorist financing, establishing a legal framework for implementing targeted financial sanctions, and adopting a risk-based approach to supervising the non-profit sector.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  There were 321 terrorist incidents in Mali, an 18 percent increase over 2023.  JNIM targeted both military and civilian targets and notably attacked a gendarmerie school in Bamako, killing at least 70.  JNIM and ISIS-GS continued to conduct terrorist attacks targeting Malian security forces, self-defense militias, civilians, critical infrastructure, and facilitators of economic development.  Open-source reporting also documented attacks by unnamed armed groups/individuals who may or may not have been affiliated with ISIS-GS and JNIM.

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