The relationships between some of the major jihadist groups in the Sahel and their evolution.

1. © Daniel Brett November 2015 www.danielbrett.com........
Brief Guide to Jihadism in the Sahel
Armed Islamic Group
Groupe Islamique Armé (GIA)
Founded: 1993, Dissolved: 2004
Main combatant in Algerian Civil War
Salafist Group for
Preaching and Combat
(GSPC)
Founded: Algeria, 1999
Break-away from GIA
Al-Qaeda
GSPC declares allegiance in 2003/04
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
GSPC changes name to AQIM in 2007
Secures income from smuggling and hostage ransoms
Spreads operations beyond Algeria to Mali, Niger, Chad
Leader: Abdelmalek Droukdel (since 2004)
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
GIA veteran and major
Sahelian smuggler,
ousted from AQIM for
factionalism in 2012
Ansar Dine
Founded: 2012
Leader: Iyad Ag Ghaly
Active: Mali, Tuareg
dominated
Islamic Movement for
Azawad
(break-away)
Formed: 2013
Leader: Alghabass Ag
Intalla
Active: Mali
Masked Men Brigade
Al-Mulathameen aka al-
Mua'qi'oon Biddam (Those Who
Sign with Blood)
Formed: 2012
Active: Algeria
Boko Haram
Leader: Abubakar Shekau
Founded: 2002.
Links with AQIM from 2011 to
2014, but orientated towards ISIS
and became Islamic State West
Africa Province in March 2015
Movement for Oneness and
Jihad in West Africa
(MOJWA)
Split from AQIM in 2011
Active: Algeria, Mali, Niger
Al-Mourabitoun
Formed: August 2014
Active: Mali
Official allegiance to Al-Qaeda, although
one commander, Adnan Abu Waleed al-
Sahrawi, pledged allegiance to ISiS. This
was condemned by Belmokhtar
Ansar Dine, AQIM
and MOJWA
forged alliances in
the Mali Civil War
(2012-2015)
Macina Liberation
Movement
Formed: January 2015
Active: Southern Mali