How do Boko Haram, IS, and JNIM tactics differ in the Sahel?

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Boko Haram, IS, and JNIM use different tactics in the Sahel, ranging from mass kidnappings to “blind terror” and local political-violent entrenchment.

Boko Haram is described as notorious for mass kidnappings, while IS factions in the Sahel rely on “blind terror.” The JNIM stands out by embedding itself locally through both violence and politics, including making agreements with local leaders that can lead to control over who can leave a town.
Boko Haram’s hallmark is mass kidnappings that disrupt daily life
Boko Haram’s tactics in the Sahel are singled out for mass kidnappings, which directly force communities to live under the threat of abductions. In Nigeria’s Borno state on the edge of Lake Chad, residents described how people can no longer go to the fields for fear of being killed or kidnapped, and that farming requires paying taxes.
IS factions focus on “blind terror” rather than local political entrenchment
IS factions are described as relying on “blind terror,” with the same reporting noting that they have killed thousands and uprooted communities across the region. The broader pattern described is that jihadist groups can conduct large-scale attacks and increasingly challenge state control in rural areas, but the specific method attributed to IS is terror carried out without the same emphasis on local governance.
JNIM uses violence plus politics, including deals that reshape town governance
The JNIM is described as embedding itself locally through violence and politics, and it has used agreements with local leaders to impose effective blockades. In Mali’s Nioro du Sahel, the JNIM imposed a blockade after making such agreements, with fighters controlling who can leave, setting rules such as requirements around veils and restrictions on men and women seen together. In Farabougou, another central Malian town under blockade, residents described harsh punishment when rules are broken, but also said disputes could be resolved quickly under the group’s version of Islamic law.
The three groups’ methods converge on control, but differ in how they establish it
Across the Sahel, all three groups are described as having killed thousands and left governments scrambling, and they can now work across vast territories to challenge state control. Yet the tactics differ in emphasis: Boko Haram is tied to mass kidnappings, IS is tied to “blind terror,” and JNIM is tied to local entrenchment through both violence and politics, including taxation and governance-like control.

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How do Boko Haram, IS, and JNIM tactics differ in the Sahel?

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