The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) poses a serious security risk for nations in the western Sahel. Currently, JNIM regularly operates in Burkina Faso, Mali, and increasingly in Niger, threatening coastal west African states like Ghana. Moreover, Ghana is perhaps one of the most democratic and stable governments in the Gulf of Guinea. Leading the Accra Initiative, an organisation comprising Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Cote D’ivoire that cooperate on regional counterterrorism efforts. Ghana will host the UN 2023 Peacekeeping Ministerial in December. Despite Accra’s efforts, political instability, coups, and catalysing Islamic extremism place Ghana and the rest of the Gulf of Guinea at risk in the coming months. Although JNIM activity in Ghana is not definitive, the alarming rate in which these terrorist groups are exploiting the situation in the western reaches of the Sahel makes the threat of the JNIM a serious security risk to Ghana.
Joseph Balodis
Is a recent graduate in MA Intelligence & Security Studies, completing the H4MoD program in 2023 and holding a BA in Contemporary History & Politics at the University of Salford. His interest focus is on Sahelian and West African security, French intelligence, and international relations.