An image posted by the group on social media from one of JNIM’s da’wa events in Burkina Faso, near the Nigerian border.
This month, Al Qaeda’s West African branch, the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM), announced da’wah (conversion) operations in communities in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Photos released by the group show soldiers preaching and giving religious lectures to locals in the southern Mali region of Kays and Burkina Faso, along the border with Niger. Dozens of local residents will be seen attending the event in each area.
Dawa operations in Mali’s Keyes region reportedly took place in the Elimane region, not far from Mauritania and Senegal. JNIM has steadily moved further south into Mali in recent years, slowly encircling the capital Bamako.
It is unclear where in Burkina Faso the incident took place, but JNIM maintains far more influence and control in Burkina Faso than in Mali. For example, at least 40% of Burkina Faso is believed to be under JNIM influence.
As journalist Wasim Nasr first pointed out, these community gatherings were also attended by key JNIM leaders such as Mahmoud Bari. Barry was released from Mali custody in 2020 in a prisoner exchange with JNIM. Mr. Barrie, also known as Sheikh Abu Yahya, was arrested in 2016 for his role as a senior commander of JNIM’s Katibat Masina, a position he still holds.
Dawa, which means “conversion” in Arabic, serves an important purpose for jihadis. This allows them to spread their version of Islam and infiltrate local communities, and serves as a way to build goodwill and support in communities under jihadi control.
Dawa activities range from religious lectures to community-based events and festivals based on Islamic principles. The latter is a common device used by Al Qaeda’s Shabaab affiliate in East Africa as part of its Dawa operations in Somalia.
More importantly, such activities are an integral part of the jihadist state-building project, and propaganda releases by groups help provide evidence of influence and forms of governance over particular regions. . The Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda, and each group’s affiliates and affiliates all emphasize the importance of da’wa for this very reason.
Meanwhile, Islamic State has been displaying da’wah activities across the African continent this year, with such events also taking place in Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria. More recently, IS has also emphasized a more despicable version of da’wa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where forced conversions of abducted Congolese civilians are carried out.
For jihadis, dawah is the proverbial “carrot” to their usual “stick” approach. Although violent expansion is often the primary means by which jihadists expand their territorial conquests, it is not the only method.
In fact, dawah serves as a form of soft power that jihadists can use to gain new followers, members, and supporters and to win public relations victories in the eyes of local populations under their control or influence. I am doing it. Publicizing such events also shows the extent to which jihadis are reluctant to operate in public.
Considering the group’s latest releases, JNIM now feels comfortable enough to join the Islamic State and the al-Qaeda Brotherhood in Somalia in open da’wa operations. The group is sending a strong signal to the local Sahel military junta that it is growing in power and seeking to expand its influence.
Other selected photos of JNIM’s da’wah activities:
Mahmoud Bari, a senior leader of JNIM’s Katibat Masina, is seated on the far left wearing a purple risam (turban/face veil).
