Burkina Faso's Armed Groups Clash as Government Struggles to Maintain Control

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Intense and increasingly deadly battles have erupted between two rival armed groups along Burkina Faso’s northern border with Mali, as the government grapples with asserting authority over significant portions of the nation. The conflict, primarily between Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of al-Qaeda, and the ISIL affiliate in Sahel Province (ISSP), has escalated significantly since early September. Both factions are vying for control of territory and influence in the border regions.

These recent confrontations have led to competing claims of substantial casualties, though figures provided by the ISIL (ISIS) group remain unverified. A major early clash occurred near Kacham, close to the Malian border, in early September. ISSP asserted that it had killed over 200 JNIM fighters, captured more than 30, and seized weapons and motorcycles. This claim, if substantiated, would represent the deadliest engagement recorded between the two groups, according to Heni Nsaibia of the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED).

The fighting intensified again on October 9 near Ganadaouri, in Burkina Faso’s northern Oudalan province. ISIL’s weekly publication, Al-Naba, subsequently reported that over 400 JNIM fighters had been killed. JNIM has not issued a public response, and no independent verification of these casualty figures exists. ISSP released photographs on November 1, purportedly showing the aftermath of the battle, but a regional news outlet, i-Sahel, counted at least 120 bodies in the images, without independent verification of their connection to the reported fighting. The number visible in the photos is significantly lower than the 400 deaths claimed by ISIL.

This rivalry has been ongoing since 2019, with the groups competing for territory, influence, and access to local populations across the Sahel. ACLED data indicates approximately 320 armed confrontations and over 2,200 fighter deaths between them since the conflict began. The clashes occur as JNIM continues to gain ground against government forces in Burkina Faso, holding extensive areas, particularly in the north, north-central region, west, and east, according to the International Crisis Group. JNIM’s influence challenges state authority in several regions while maintaining operations in neighboring Mali and Niger.

An overview by ACLED in March 2026 documented over 30 JNIM attacks in Burkina Faso during a February offensive targeting the military and state-backed Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), resulting in the deaths of more than 120 soldiers, forest guards, and militia fighters. This campaign highlights the pressure on government forces, even as JNIM faces attacks from its Islamic State rival. The internal conflict could potentially offer Burkina Faso’s authorities a temporary reprieve if JNIM is compelled to divert fighters and resources to defend against ISSP. However, lasting government gains are unlikely, given JNIM’s continued activity across multiple countries and ISSP’s potential to strengthen its position through battlefield successes.

For communities caught between armed groups and government forces, the prospect of one group weakening another offers little assurance of relief. Burkina Faso’s security crisis has displaced millions and disrupted essential services, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis. An estimated 4.5 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2026, according to United Nations figures. The last official estimate of internal displacement, from March 2023, was approximately 2.1 million.

A citizen from Niger, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, expressed hope that the infighting might reduce pressure on communities in the borderlands. The rivalry has expanded beyond Burkina Faso and Mali, with ACLED documenting its spread into Niger’s Tillaberi and Dosso regions and Nigeria’s Kebbi State, raising concerns about wider West African implications. ACLED recorded over 10,000 deaths from political violence across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger between January 1 and November 28, 2025.

Viraj Pattni, a senior associate at Castor Vali, noted that JNIM’s expanding operations could increase threats to Gulf of Guinea countries, stating, “The threat of Islamist militancy spreading to coastal countries is very real.” He added that JNIM has intensified operations in western and southern Mali, establishing a training camp in the Sikasso Region, positioning it to expand along the border with Ivory Coast. While less pronounced in southern Burkina Faso, JNIM’s control over the Est Region has facilitated operations in Togo and Benin in 2025, and the group claimed its first attack in Nigeria’s Kwara State in October 2025. Factors such as porous borders, marginalization, and communal tensions contribute to its likely expansion into littoral West Africa.

Heni Nsaibia believes the growing confrontation may force JNIM to reallocate resources, as the group has reportedly struggled to counter ISSP, which has achieved victories in significant recent battles. These increasingly deadly confrontations are compelling JNIM to divert fighters and resources from its primary objective of combating government forces and allied militias in Mali and Burkina Faso.