Trump Eyes Strikes On Mali As Jihadists Gain Ground

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The Trump administration is weighing direct action against jihadists in the African nation of Mali — where Christians face rising persecution and a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization is gaining ground.

Regional foreign policy experts told the Daily Caller the reports appear credible.

Citing current and former U.S. officials, the Washington Post reported Wednesday that the administration is considering strikes in Mali. The Malian government appeared caught off guard by the news.

“We have no confirmation and no official statement from the United States or U.S. officials on this matter. We are waiting to see what stance the U.S. government will take. I can assure you that Mali is not sitting idly by waiting for others to come and solve our problems.”

That was Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop speaking Thursday.

But Mali’s military government isn’t winning its fight against Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin — or JNIM.

The jihadist group is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It continues to gain ground as it seeks to replace the junta with a government based on Sharia law.

The White House neither confirmed nor denied that direct attacks are under consideration. But an administration official told the Caller that terrorism in the Sahel is a “multi-national problem” and urged “regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in their war against JNIM and ISIS.”

The official said the U.S. wishes the Alliance of Sahel States success. But the alliance’s reliance on Russia’s ineffective counterterrorism capabilities has contributed to the “deteriorating security situation,” the official argued.

The administration hopes “other African nations take note of Russia’s terrible performance in combating terrorism.”

Russia’s incompetence may be exactly what draws the U.S. into the conflict.

Scott Morgan, a D.C.-based security consultant with Red Eagle Enterprises, told the Caller that a strike remains plausible. He suggested that although Russia’s partnership with Mali complicates matters, the opportunity to embarrass the Kremlin may be the draw.

A successful U.S. counterterrorism operation would give Russia a “black eye” and “screw over Putin,” Morgan said. He noted that money generated from the African conflict has helped prolong Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Morgan remains skeptical, however. Recently confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia visited Mali in mid-July. Yet no apparent agreement emerged — despite Garcia being the most likely administration official to broker one.

Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on the region, was more confident that the U.S. will eventually become involved.

“It’s always been clear to people like myself who study the Sahel that, at some point, something has to be done.”

Obadare believes Russian incompetence, coupled with American inaction, could eventually force the U.S. to intervene as JNIM moves closer to destabilizing the region and threatening American interests across Africa.

He said that if Trump does intervene, it cannot be a two- or three-month operation. Instead, it would require a long-term commitment and partnership between the U.S. and Mali.

Such a partnership could share some features with the counterterrorism agreement between the U.S. and neighboring Nigeria.

That agreement seeks to advance the White House’s stated goals in Africa by preventing jihadi groups from establishing bases capable of launching attacks against the U.S. — while also seeking to “protect Christians, who have been slaughtered at the hands of these Jihadi groups.”

But both Obadare and Morgan said any agreement with Mali would differ significantly from the one reached with Nigeria.

Unlike Nigeria, which has a struggling but civilian government, Mali’s current leaders came to power through a series of coups beginning during the Obama administration.

A strong partnership between the world’s leading superpower and Mali could further entrench and legitimize the military government. However, Obadare said a carefully negotiated collaboration could both halt the jihadi advance and create conditions for the junta to eventually relinquish power.

The administration’s public rationale for intervening in Mali would also likely differ from its justification for working with Nigeria.

In Nigeria, Trump has repeatedly emphasized the persecution of Christians by jihadist groups. Experts say U.S. involvement in Mali would likely be framed around national security concerns instead.

Still, the State Department stressed that protecting persecuted Christians remains an administration priority.

“The Trump Administration has made it clear that protecting religious freedom for all individuals, including Christians — the most persecuted religious group worldwide — is a priority,” a State Department spokesperson told the Caller.

Open Doors, the Christian advocacy and research group whose figures Trump has cited in discussing U.S. policy toward Nigeria, ranks Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians.

Mali is not far behind at No. 15.

A legal expert working with Open Doors in sub-Saharan Africa told the Caller that the reports of possible U.S. action should draw international attention to the often-overlooked crisis facing Christians and moderate Muslims across Mali and the broader Sahel.

“Christian communities have faced attacks on churches, kidnappings of clergy, displacement, and pressure to abandon their faith, while millions across the region live under the constant threat of violence,” the legal expert said.

“As one local church leader told Open Doors, ‘While security in Bamako has improved, the situation remains deeply worrying for those in rural areas. Church activities in many communities remain limited because of the ongoing insecurity.'”

He added that any national or international response must prioritize protecting civilians. “Lasting peace will require sustained regional cooperation, accountability, and the protection of every community vulnerable to violence.”

However, Obadare believes there are too few Christians remaining in Mali to generate the same level of documentation and advocacy seen in Nigeria — efforts he said are necessary to build broader continental support for counterterrorism operations.

“This is not just about defending Christians, which we should do,” Obadare said. “It’s about protecting our long-term interests in making sure the bad guys don’t become squatters in a region of West Africa, making themselves comfortable, and then ultimately bringing problems to us here in the United States.”

“West Africa is the epicenter of the Islamist insurgency in the entire world,” Obadare said. “You don’t need extra justification for that.”

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