Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, has claimed responsibility for attacks on two military bases in northern Benin, reportedly killing 70 soldiers. This marks one of the deadliest assaults in the region in recent years. Jihadist violence in the Sahel began after a Tuareg uprising in Mali in 2012 and has since spread to Burkina Faso, Niger, and more recently, coastal nations like Benin, leading to thousands of deaths and mass displacement.