Burkina Faso rival armed groups turn on each other as the state loses ground near Mali border
A disputed battle near Kacham
A major clash occurred near Kacham, close to the Mali border, in early September. ISIL’s Sahel branch, ISSP, said it killed more than 200 JNIM fighters, took more than 30 captive and captured weapons and motorcycles; those claims have not been independently confirmed.
On November 1, ISSP released photographs it said showed the battle’s aftermath. The regional outlet i-Sahel counted at least 120 bodies, but could not establish whether they were victims of the fighting, leaving the images short of confirming ISIL’s claim of 400 deaths. Heni Nsaibia of ACLED said the reported toll, if verified, would make the clash the deadliest recorded between the groups.
A rivalry with regional reach
The groups have contested territory, influence and access to local communities since their fighting began in 2019. ACLED has recorded about 320 clashes and more than 2,200 fighter deaths since then.
The competition now extends beyond Burkina Faso and Mali. ACLED has documented activity in Niger’s Tillaberi and Dosso regions and Nigeria’s Kebbi State.
Government pressure and civilian needs
United Nations humanitarian planning figures estimate that 4.5 million people in Burkina Faso will need assistance in 2026. The latest consolidated official displacement estimate, published in March 2023, was about 2.1 million; it is not a newly verified count for 2026.
Key points
- ISIL’s claims about deaths and captures near Kacham have not been independently verified.
- ACLED records around 320 clashes and more than 2,200 fighter deaths since the rivalry began in 2019.
- The conflict has spread to parts of Niger and Nigeria, as well as Burkina Faso and Mali.