Key Facts

• Iyad Ag Ghali is the leader of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group.
• JNIM has grown stronger in recent years in Mali.
• Ag Ghali is considered Mali’s most wanted man.
• Recently, JNIM and Tuareg separatists launched the largest coordinated attack in Mali in more than a decade.
• The French military, Malian authorities, and Russian mercenaries all tried to capture him but were unsuccessful.
• The attack and Ag Ghali’s leadership highlight ongoing conflict and instability in Mali.
• Tuareg separatists seek independence or greater autonomy in northern Mali.
• The situation involves international and local forces trying to control militant violence in the region.