Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has described itself as al-Qa’ida’s official branch in Mali. In 2017, the Sahara Branch of al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Murabitoun, Ansar al-Dine, and the Macina Liberation Front came together to form JNIM. Operating in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, JNIM is responsible for numerous attacks and kidnappings. In June 2017, JNIM carried out an attack at a resort frequented by Westerners outside of Bamako and was responsible for the large-scale coordinated attacks in Ouagadougou on March 2, 2018. In September, JNIM detonated a landmine under a passenger bus in central Mali, killing 14 civilians and injuring another 24.
On September 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of State designated JNIM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Previously, on September 5, 2018, the Department of State designated JNIM as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended. As a result, all of JNIM’s property, and interests in property, subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with JNIM. It is a crime to knowingly provide, or to attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to JNIM.
