Islamist militant groups in Africa hit record violence levels, now targeting mining regions directly
Islamist militant groups across Africa carried out a record 86 percent of ISIS's global attacks in the first quarter of 2026, up from 49 percent in 2024, according to the conflict-monitoring group ACLED. Groups including JNIM are increasingly targeting mining sites directly, Bloo
Islamist militant groups across Africa carried out a record 86 percent of ISIS's global attacks in the first quarter of 2026, up from 49 percent in all of 2024 and 79 percent in 2025, according to the conflict-monitoring group ACLED. Interactions between jihadist groups and state forces rose 42 percent between 2024 and 2025. JNIM, an al-Qaida-linked group, expanded its use of armed drones from fewer than 10 strikes in 2024 to around 80 in 2025. Bloomberg reports these groups are increasingly targeting mining regions directly, competing with governments for control of gold, cobalt and oil sites; ACLED separately documented an attack on a Chinese-operated mining site in DR Congo's Mambasa territory that killed over a dozen people. Source: ACLED, Bloomberg.