11 Dec 2019
Salafi jihadi armed groups and conflict (de-)escalation
The case of Ansar Dine in Mali
As violent conflict erupted in Mali in 2012, the Salafi jihadi Armed Group (SJAG) Ansar Dine quickly emerged as one of its main protagonists, and its leader Iyad Ag Ghaly retained a prominent role within the umbrella entity Jamāʿat nuṣrat al-islām wal-muslimīn (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, JNIM) formed in March 2017.
Authors
Tim Jan Roetman, Marie Migeon, Véronique Dudouet
This case study report analyses three strategic shifts undergone by Ansar Dine (and then JNIM), and underscores a non-linear evolution towards conflict escalation, both in terms of the geographic spread and level of violence. The study explores the organisational and ideological patterns contributing to this behavioural shift, as well as the role of external factors such as inter-party power dynamics and international intervention in constraining, incentivising or provoking Ansar Dine’s strategic shifts. The study concludes by exploring possible future scenarios for conflict de-escalation.
- FR - Français (French) - Les groupes armés salafi-djihadistes et la (dés)escalade des conflits. Le cas d’Ansar Dine au Mali
- Dialogue with Salafi jihadi armed groups. Challenges and opportunities for conflict de-escalation
Karin Göldner-Ebenthal, Véronique Dudouet, Marie Migeon. 2019 - Salafi jihadi armed groups and conflict (de-)escalation. The case of Ahrar al-Sham in Syria
Karin Göldner-Ebenthal, Ahmed Elsayed. 2019 - Salafi jihadi armed groups and conflict (de-)escalation. The case of al-Shabaab in Somalia
Karin Göldner-Ebenthal. 2019 - Expert Roundtable on Salafi jihadi armed groups. De-escalation trajectories and dialogue engagement – Workshop report
Karin Göldner-Ebenthal, Véronique Dudouet. 2020 - Challenges and opportunities for conflict resolution with Salafi jihadi armed groups. Policy brief No. 10
Véronique Dudouet, Karin Göldner-Ebenthal. 2020
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