When Islamic extremists raided Ayouba Ag Nadroun’s hamlet in central Mali in March, they killed hundreds of people and took his cows and camels, which were worth around $10,000. He was at the market at the time.
The 62-year-old said over the phone to The Associated Press from the Menaka area of the country of West Africa, “We lost everything.”
Islamic extremists are raiding cattle in unprecedented numbers in Mali, with jihadis affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group stealing cattle valued at millions of dollars to buy weapons and vehicles to support their insurgency across the war-torn nation and region of the Sahel, below the Sahara Desert.
According to a recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, as jihadis take over more area, theft is escalating and igniting strife among already destitute populations striving to feed and sustain their family.
For more than ten years, Mali has fought to keep an uprising of Islamist extremists under control.
Despite a triumph in 2013, when France dispatched soldiers to assist its former colony remove terrorists with ties to al-Qaida from the country’s northern regions, violence has not only persisted but also grown. Attacks have spread to the nearby nations of Niger and Burkina Faso, where extremists are using locals’ complaints against the government to enlist fighters and seize control of territory.
Although cattle rustling has always been a key component of Mali’s conflict economy, the current rise of Islamic extremists is concerning, according to a study from the worldwide network.
Stealing generates cash flow
According to the assessment from the worldwide project known as GI-TOC, 130,000 cattle were stolen in 2021, almost the same quantity taken from 2018 through 2020, in the central Mopti area, one of the hardest devastated by more recent conflict. Although while the organisations have several ways to raise money, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, and gold mining, researchers claim that livestock raiding is one of the most popular due to the reliable cash flow, particularly in Mali, which is the region’s second-largest exporter of cattle after Nigeria. Jihadis steal cattle, sell it through a network, and use the proceeds to purchase guns and transportation.
Because Mali is a significant regional producer and exporter of cattle, “cattle rustling has proven to be a persistent and reliable source of money for armed groups,” according to Flore Berger, Sahel analyst at GI-TOC. Because neighbouring nations will probably keep buying from Mali, it is possible that cattle rustling will continue to generate income.
According to the villagers, jihadis plan their robberies carefully and stake out watering spots where they know the cattle will gather to drink.
According to Mahamad Ag Moustapha, mayor of Inekar commune in the Menaka area, “they set up shop near to the wells for several days, and every time the thirsty animals come to obtain water, the terrorists take them.” The father of nine lost more than $84,000 in livestock when Islamists stormed his village in April of last year. He presently resides at a Menaka relocation site.
“Within a 300-kilometer range of the town of Menaka, there are no animals. The terrorists are attempting to economically destabilise the populace so that it would not support a resistance, “added he.
Analysts believe that jihadis steal cattle valued at tens of millions of dollars annually, notwithstanding the difficulty in estimating how much money jihadis make from stealing livestock.
According to the research, one area in the Mopti region that was controlled by jihadis gained over $730,000 in net earnings from cattle theft in a single year. Jihadists in the adjacent Burkina Faso, where conflict has been raging since 2016, may make up to $50,000 a month from livestock raiding in areas where they operate, such as the Sahel, north, and center-north.
According to Colonel Abdoulaye Dembele, spokesman for the Malian army, “we are aware that the money earned by the sale of stolen livestock is used to pay the terrorists’ actions.”
“It is challenging to protect Mali’s livestock from militants. Given the size of the nation, securing its citizens is our top priority “said he.
Yet, recently, “In the Menaka area, the centre, and Mopti, we have found several hundred head of cattle. In both situations, we have given the livestock to the regional authorities, who are in responsibility of tracing the owners and giving the cattle back to them. We may interfere as long as the cattle are taken within a certain distance of our military camps, but if they are too far away, it gets challenging “Added he.
hostages even more valuable
Conflict specialists claim that despite a rise in cattle theft, it still pales in comparison to the extremely lucrative industry of hostage snatching.
William Linder, a veteran CIA officer and the founder of 14 North Strategies, an Africa-focused risk consulting, said, “We’ve heard unsubstantiated allegations that ransoming captives is [jihadis’] most profitable cash source, providing around 30% of [their] income.” According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, since 2015 there have been kidnappings in the Sahel involving at least 25 foreigners and untold thousands of locals.
The jihadists from northern Mali abducted the French journalist Olivier Dubois in April 2021. He was freed last month, but the terms of that release—including if a ransom was paid—have not been made public.
Nonetheless, the increased livestock rustling disturbs some Sahelians more since it limits their chances of survival.
A increase in jihadis selling thousands of stolen cattle in villages for a third of the price, making it difficult for traders to compete, was reported by locals in the Gourma region two years ago. According to a 34-year-old tea vendor at a market in Gossi town who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, the jihadis sell thousands of cattle, usually to beef dealers who transport it across the border to the neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso or Niger.
According to Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm, jihadis are increasing their legitimacy in the region they seize and reducing state authority by controlling the cross-border cattle markets.
According to him, “the steady flow of revenue helps them to buy weapons, enlist new members, expand their influence, and challenge governmental authority.”
Governments in the Sahel area must build authority, enforce border restrictions, supervise livestock markets, and win the trust of the local population in order to reduce revenue, he added.
Associated Press
