Three Indian nationals who were employed at the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes, Republic of Mali, were kidnapped on July 1 by Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization active in the Sahel region of West Africa. The terror group took responsibility for the kidnapping after attacking the premises of the cement factory with a concerted strategy.
India’s Government (GOI) condemned the kidnapping vehemently, assuring that the Indian embassy in Bamako remains in close communication with local authorities, security agencies, and the families of the victims.
Who Is JNIM?
Al-Qaeda affiliates Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, operate chiefly in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. Iyad Ag Ghali announced the formation of the group on March 2, 2017, in a video published by the media agency Al Zalaqa.
JNIM is an alliance of various factions of jihadists operating in the region, namely:
- Ansar al-Din
- Macina Liberation Front (FLM)
- Al-Murabitun
- The Sahara Emirate subgroup of AQIM (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb)
JNIM is the Sahel’s most prominent terrorist threat, according to the United Nations, by frequently employing weapons and propaganda to destabilize states and accrue local support by framing itself as the protector of disenfranchised people.
A UN report published in February claims that the group regularly issues media coverage of violence by state actors, trying to legitimize its operations among vulnerable groups.
What Does JNIM Want?
JNIM’s ultimate desire is to drive Western influence out of West Africa and create a Salafi-Islamist state ruled by Sharia law. The group adheres to a Salafi-Jihadist ideology, which mingles rigid adherence to early Islamic scholarship with violent jihad.
Salafi-Jihadism, as described by counterterrorism specialists, advocates for armed conflict to create an Islamic caliphate worldwide by toppling current secular or democratic regimes.
Why the Indian Nationals?
While JNIM has attacked people of many nationalities, preliminary reports indicate that the Indian workers are not being kidnapped because of their nationality. Rather, the motivation seems to be economic.
Families of the abducted Indians have informed media houses that JNIM is demanding ransom, although the amount remains unknown. This aligns with the group’s recent activities in the region, where it killed 200 Burkina Faso soldiers in fatal attacks on military bases in June 2025.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has, furthermore, affirmed that the embassy in Mali is actively working with local authorities and international partners. The government has, moreover, affirmed its determination to ensure the safe release of the kidnapped nationals and, in addition, has warned against the sharing of unverified information.