Mali’s Dual Threat: Home-Grown Terrorists and International Actors

A new report has highlighted the dual threat facing Mali, as home-grown terrorists and international actors pose significant risks to the country’s stability.

The Malian Authorities’ Efforts

The Malian authorities have established a specialized court and brigade to handle terrorism and terrorist financing (TF) cases. However, investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial authorities have not been sufficiently trained to effectively conduct TF investigations. The country’s counter-terrorism strategy does not cover TF, and there is no comprehensive assessment of the non-profit organization (NPO) sector.

Home-Grown Terrorists

Mali faces significant threats from home-grown terrorists, who benefit from support funds that are often transferred outside the regulated financial system. These groups engage in criminal activities such as:

• Hostage-taking with ransom
• Trafficking in goods, drugs, weapons, and humans
• Fraud
• Drug and cigarette trafficking
• Migrants’ smuggling
• Corruption
• Customs and tax offenses

These activities contribute to their financing and pose significant risks to the country’s stability.

International Actors

The report also highlights the threat posed by international actors, who seek to exploit Mali’s vulnerabilities for their own gain. These actors engage in criminal activities that generate illicit funds, which are then used to finance terrorist groups.

Challenges and Recommendations

Despite efforts to improve its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime, Mali still faces significant challenges. There is a lack of coordination between different agencies, and some sectors within the designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) have not implemented adequate measures to prevent ML.

To address these challenges, the report recommends that Mali:

• Strengthen its AML/CFT legal framework by ensuring it collects and maintains comprehensive statistics on ML/TF cases
• Improve international cooperation, particularly judicial assistance
• Conduct capacity-building programs for criminal justice officials
• Finalize its revised national strategy to address the newly identified risks and develop an action plan to implement the recommendations of the National Risk Assessment