The sun is clearly setting on al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) considering the setback it is going through on the ground, most notably in Algeria. In this country, the National Popular Army (ANP) is determined to maintain pressure and tighten the noose on the ever-active groups in Kabylie. Seven terrorists there have been incapacitated and Kalashnikov assault weapons have been seized this week.
AQIM comprises several brigades that operate in different regions of the country. Each brigade is directed by a local emir who cannot carry out his mission without first having pledged his allegiance to the national emir. The latter is called Abelmalik Droukdel, also known as Abu Musab Abdelwoudoud. This figurehead in the terrorist movement has power and influence that has spread all throughout the Sahel region. His counsel is even heard among terrorist groups such as the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) or Boko Haram. If the roots of the group are found in the center of Algeria, it also extends across other zones of operation. It currently touches the desert regions of the Sahel, Mauritania, Mali and Niger.
