Faith Nyasuguta
A senior Islamic State group commander, Abu Huzeifa, also known as Higgo, wanted in connection with the deaths of US forces in Niger, has been eliminated in an operation by Malian state forces, according to the country’s army.
Abu Huzeifa, notorious for his leadership role in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, had a hefty bounty of up to $5 million placed on his head by the US State Department. He was implicated in orchestrating the 2017 attack on US and Nigerien forces in Tongo Tongo, Niger, resulting in the deaths of four Americans and four Nigerien soldiers.
In response to this attack, the US military scaled back its operations with local partners in the Sahel region.
The Malian army confirmed Abu Huzeifa’s demise in a statement late on Monday, citing identification and gathered evidence. The operation, which led to his elimination, involved forces from a Tuareg armed group allied with the Malian state and took place in Mali’s northern region.
A photo broadcasted on state television depicted Abu Huzeifa clad in army attire, sporting a long black beard, and brandishing a machine-gun, underscoring his prominence as a militant commander.
Mali, grappling with political upheavals, including two coups since 2020, has been ensnared in a protracted insurgency by jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State for over a decade. The elimination of Abu Huzeifa, though a significant development, does not extinguish the threat entirely.
Analysts caution that while his death may temporarily reduce violence against civilians, there are likely other brutal leaders waiting to seize control and perpetrate further violence.
Colonel Assimi Goita, who assumed leadership following Mali’s second coup in 2021, has pledged to quell the insurgency. The ruling junta, disillusioned with French military assistance, has terminated military ties with France and turned to Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group for security reinforcement.
Moreover, Mali has forged security alliances with neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, both grappling with escalating insurgencies and political instability.
Despite promises by their military regimes to quash insurgencies post-coup, conflict analysts observe a deterioration in violence under their governance. With shared borders in the conflict-ridden Sahel region, the security forces of these nations are stretched thin combating jihadist violence.
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