Islamic State's Incursion into North Africa and Sahel: A threat to al-Qaeda

The article examines Islamic State’s expansion into North Africa and Sahel and the subsequent rivalry between IS and AQIM—the regional Al Qaeda group. Although IS managed to establish a province in Libya from 2014 through 2016, its presence in North Africa and Sahel (Libya, Sinai, Nigeria) is fragile. AQIM in contrast has a longstanding presence in the region, which appears to be much more consolidated. The rivalry between IS and AQ in this region has incited AQ splinter-groups to unite around AQIM, and in 2016 these groups stepped up their attacks on Western targets.