Jessica Moody
Jessica Moody is a freelance political risk analyst with a focus on West and Central Africa.
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Articles by Jessica Moody
Mass Civilian Defense Force Recruitment Raises Jihadist Threat to Civilians in Burkina Faso
In October 2022, the ruling junta of Burkina Faso began a campaign to recruit 50,000 civilians to join its volunteer defense force, known as the Volontaires pour la Défense de
Jihadist Attack on Togo Highlights Threats to Neighboring Ghana
Togolese officials reported the first successful jihadist attack on its territory overnight on May 10 (RFI, June 15). The attack, which targeted the northern town of Kpekankandi, left eight Togolese
Leaving Islamism Aside: The Gambia Under Adama Barrow
The inauguration of Adama Barrow as president in the Gambia in January 2017 heralded a new era for the country, ruled previously for 22 years by strongman Yahya Jammeh. Among
Senegal Boosts Security Measures to Combat AQIM Threat
A series of large-scale attacks by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) over the last few years, targeting mainly tourists in West African countries with a French or international presence,
The Niger Delta: Will Restarting Amnesty Payments Ease the Conflict?
The Nigerian government announced in August that it had resumed amnesty payments to former militants in the Niger Delta, many of them members of the Movement for the Emancipation of
Foreign Assets Under Threat: Is AQIM Preparing an In Amenas-Style Attack?
In late May, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed it had attacked an Areva-operated uranium mine in Arlit, northern Niger (Alakhbar, May 24). AQIM attributed the alleged assault to
The Niger Delta Avengers: A New Threat to Oil Producers in Nigeria
Since the start of 2016, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), a hitherto unknown group, has claimed responsibility for increasingly frequent attacks on oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta. According to