Nigeria, Aug. 10 -- In the war-torn Sahel, armed groups including an al-Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), its opponent, Islamic State Sahel Province (IS Sahel) and state-backed militia do not just need oil or gold to sustain their operations, but also need livestock, a recent study has shown.

The study revealed how cattle rustling by jihadist groups, bandits and state-backed militias has become a central component of the war economy in the Sahel, extending deep into coastal West Africa, and benefiting not only the perpetrators but also key players such as younger herders, butchers, traders and transporters.

The study, published in July 2025 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC)...