General Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), issues a stark warning about the growing threat posed by JNIM, the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group operating across the Sahel. “I almost didn’t come here because of what happened last weekend,” Anderson said, referring to a series of complex attacks across Mali, including strikes near Bamako’s international airport. What alarmed him most was JNIM’s unprecedented public declaration that it intended to attack and seize Bamako, Mali’s capital. “They told civilians in Bamako not to resist,” Anderson said. “That should give people chills, because that’s exactly what ISIS did before it captured Mosul.” Anderson warned that if a terrorist organization were to take control of a national capital, it would mark a major strategic shift. “It changes the threat. It gives them legitimacy, and it makes them far more attractive to extremists from around the world.” He noted that JNIM has repeatedly used siege tactics in Mali, cutting off roads and fuel supplies until local populations capitulate. “They have learned how to choke off key resources until people surrender, allowing them to take control without significant violence.” “For me, this is very concerning right now,” Anderson said. Video via GSW