Jihadist Threat Leaves Eastern Senegal on High Alert
Last update: February 24, 2026
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Border residents fear spillover as attacks in Mali move closer.
Senegalese mechanic Ibrahima Mbodj says sudden noises now make him fear another jihadist attack near his village on the Malian border.
While Senegal has not suffered attacks, violence in Mali is edging closer. On July 1, gunfire woke residents of Kidira as the neighbouring Malian village of Diboli came under assault.
CBI News reports that at least one civilian was killed in the attack, claimed by the Al Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims JNIM.
Once concentrated in northern and central Mali, jihadist activity has spread westward, including along the nearly 500 kilometre Mali Senegal border.
A 2025 study by the Timbuktu Institute said JNIM has sharply increased operations in southwestern Mali and is seeking to establish a foothold in Senegal.
Since the Diboli attack, Mbodj has limited cross border trips and now personally collects his children from school. Other residents described lingering fear, though some voiced confidence in Senegal’s military.
Coumba, who lives metres from the border post, said the attack felt as if it happened in her own backyard.
It was terrifying, she said, adding that her family now stays indoors at night.
Local radio director Aboubacry Diop said the town’s streets were nearly empty in the days after the attack.
