Timbuktu Triangle
Timbuktu (Timbuktu) is one of the most famous cities of Mali, according to whose medieval monuments there was once a major center of Islamic culture and science in North Africa. marched by jihadists back in 2012. However, Russian-speaking readers associate this toponym more often with the song of the group “Secret” “Sara – Bara – Bu”, where they sing about the bays of Timbuktu and the cow Mu. So after this song the name of this region and the city of Timbuktu stuck to us.
Only there are no bays there (the arid Sahel, the center of the continent, and Mali has no access to the sea at all), and the “Dictionary of Geographical Names of Foreign Countries” (Main Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, 1970) fixes what you need to write and say “Tombуktu." The “Timbuktu” option is also acceptable, but “Timbuktu” would be more correct. And everything became clear at first glance with this name, but in reality it turned out to be much more confusing.
The region of Timbuktu (Timbuktu) in Mali with its administrative center of Timbuktu (Timbuktu)
If you look up the reports of terrorist incidents in the Sahel region, the Timbuktu Triangle area regularly appears there, which is controlled by terrorists from “Islamic State* – West Africa" (ISWAP) and its former branch "Boko Haram" And this will be much further than Malian Timbuktu, which was only partly held under pro-al-Qaeda* JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) – ISIL*’s main competitor in the macroregion.
Nigerian Timbuktu
The area in question in northeastern Nigeria, although approximately, has a triangular configuration. It is impossible to immediately establish with absolute certainty why the terrorists themselves adopted the name of Timbuktu, a city in the Republic of Mali, but this may well be due to its historical outstanding position as a center of Islamic science and education. It is a common practice among terrorists, and especially among Boko Haram, to name their bases or camps after Muslim or Arab cities and other references.
The term "Timbuktu Triangle" was later also adopted by the Niger-Nigeria militaries to refer to the axis that runs from Maiduguri northwest to Dankalwa in Benisheikh, the headquarters of Kaga Local Government Area; and from there it goes south and ends at Dambam. From Dambam the line then runs north to connect with Maiduguri, forming almost triangular contours.
Boko Haram terrorists use wasteland covered with thick, tall grass and bushes as hideouts, camps and bases of operations. The territory of the triangle is represented by various landscapes: from desert open lands to thickets of bushes and dense tall grass. Relatively dense vegetation and reeds along the banks of small reservoirs (Chalak, Kungunari and Sansan) provide militants not only with shelter, but also play a kind of “infrastructure” role.
There are about 50 communities living here (Talala, Buk, Muchima A and B, Alagarno, Yajiwa, Mai Umari, Galengi, Maudori, Mune, Gurzum, Ngalaa, Kukuruk, Mitiri, Kalmari, Munguzum, Abulam, Awolom Kashimri, Awolom Kasuwa, Yeriri, Musuni, Mada, Busu, Ngamari and others), whom the terrorists allowed to stay “by great mercy”, and the Nigerian troops from time to time supplied material assistance.
After Boko Haram split into factions in 2016, most supporters of Musab Albarnawi, the leader of the faction that retained ties to IS* (ISWAP), moved and captured part of Lake Chad Tumbus.
Abubakar Shekau, faction leader "Jamaa Atul Ahlil Sunnah" (JAS) Liddawati wal Jihad, controlled the Sambisa forest, the Timbuktu Triangle and parts of Mount Mandara.
Competition arose between these two groups for control of the zones, especially those under JAS control. The competition between IS-West Africa and Boko Haram peaked in May 2021 when ISWAP, with several motorcycles and gun trucks, infiltrated the Triangle and Sambisa Forest through Ngamdu to challenge Shekau's legitimacy to rule the area.
In the ensuing battles, he (Shekau) and many of his top commanders died. After this, ISWAP took over many communities in the Triangle and Sambisa, such as Buk (where a prison was built to hold prisoners), Talala, Abulam, Muchima and others. The rivalry between factions for control of the three zones has only intensified.
Black Stronghold
For the past 13 years, the so-called “Tumbuktu Triangle” has been one of the four notorious strongholds of the terrorist group Boko Haram, which is located in the local government areas of Borno State - Dambam, Jere, Kaga, Konduga - and among the Gujba area of Yobe State .
The remaining 3 Boko Haram epicenters – this is the Sambisa forest, Mount Mandara and part lake Chad Toumbus. Tumbuktu has remained one of the terrorist strongholds since 2011. They control areas in and around the perimeter of the triangle, further causing trouble for local governments in Biu, Damaturu, Gujba and Gwoza states. The militants also coordinate all attacks, kidnappings and ambushes that occur in the area.
Boko Haram's zone of influence appears to have been "drawn" in 2014 as part of a "massive revenge mission" to destroy local communities in which the CJTF was active (Civilian Joint Task Force - Nigerian Civil Militia).
People's Anti-Terrorism Militia of Nigeria Civilian Joint Task Force
Bokoharam's forces took control of all the entrances to the triangle through Bama and Dambam and entered into a heated struggle with Nigerian troops for Benisheik. Until 2017, the Maiduguri-Bama road remained inaccessible. Currently, the security of the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road is somewhat maintained by the troops, since some parts of it are still under their control, especially along Sabon Gari.
However, this transport artery is still only safe for travel from 6:00 to 17:00. Islamists inside the triangle set up checkpoints on main roads, distribute land and collect “taxes” from the population.
It was on the same Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu axis that terrorists destroyed several power transmission towers in late 2020 to disconnect Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, from the national grid for over 17 months. They continued to thwart all efforts by the authorities to restore the energy facilities through attacks, explosions and further damage to the facility.
The Triangle was largely cleared in 2021 by Nigerian troops. Many camps and shelters on the axis were destroyed. But later the terrorists returned and regained control over them as they remained unoccupied.
Current setting
The confrontation with ISIS-West Africa and the Boko Haram splinter faction southwest of Lake Chad continues in Niger and Nigeria to this day, with varying success on one side or another. In just one day, events in this region unfolded as follows: in Niger, on April 1, 8, Islamists attacked a convoy of the non-governmental Christian organization Catholic Relief Service (Catholic Relief Service - CRS) between n. villages of Gargada and Gagemari on the road Diffa - Maine Soray. The driver was killed and another mission employee was wounded. The service vehicle was stolen.
On the same day in Nigeria, local armed forces conducted ground and air counter-terrorism operations at the locations of ISIS* terrorists - West Africa (near the village of Bilaburin, Yobe State), where during the operation 1 terrorist was eliminated, a truck with an artillery mount was damaged and a significant amount of firearms were seized weapons.
All on the same day, April 8, the Nigerian army eliminated 6 terrorists as a result of an intelligence operation in the Timbuktu Triangle. 5 AK-47 assault rifles and 7,62 rounds of ammunition were seized. This operation was a response to a major terrorist attack the day before, on April 4, in the vicinity of the village of Kamuya. Then Boko Haram terrorists ambushed a Nigerian Armed Forces vehicle on the Biu – Buratai – Buni – Yadi road (on the border of Yobe and Borno states), resulting in the death of a lieutenant, driver, gunner and 4 other soldiers. The soldiers were heading to Damaturu for fuel. This road still retains its reputation as a dangerous route with frequent fatal attacks on government forces.
Nigerian Armed Forces clearing the Timbuktu Triangle from terrorists
What will happen next?
Local sources say the terrorists, battered by government operations, fled into the wastelands around Alagarno, as well as into the triangle around Mada, Busu, Kungunari and Mane. In general, the militants choose the tactic of fleeing into the undergrowth: as soon as they receive information about the approach of government forces, the majority leave a lot of weapons in place when retreating.
Terrorists are still attacking soft targets inside the triangle from new hideouts. This suggests that although during the operation the terrorist camps were cleared and their weapons were seized, the Islamists are moving to other shelters, where either there are already caches of weapons, or their supplies are quickly organized there.
Please note: to the east of this troubled region is the Chad Basin National Park - a protected area, a protected area (a specially protected natural area with strict restrictions on economic activities and limited visits to the territory by people). Such protected areas, due to limited access by persons, the nature reserve regime and the abundance of dense vegetation, are an ideal place to locate militant gangs.
Another important factor also remains the fact that artificially drawn borders between states “along a line” without taking into account ethnic areas, natural boundaries and the complete absence of additional border security measures ensure absolutely free movement of terrorists across the state borders of Nigeria, Niger, to the point that after the next CTO very often Bokoharam’s supporters find shelter in southeast of Mali near the city of Anderambukan, already controlled by IS-Sahel.
The turbulent situation in Chad, where President Idriss Deby (“Africa’s Last Dictator”) was assassinated in 2021, the aggravation of opposition forces and the recent decision of the Chadian government to withdraw the US military contingent from the country will only contribute to the spread of control of the Islamic State terrorist groups* in the African vilayets further east.
* A terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.
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