The United Nations says a ransom payment of about $50 million made in late 2025 to secure the release of a hostage in Mali helped finance an Al-Qaeda-linked offensive in the country and strengthened the militant network across West Africa.
A UN monitoring report said the money was channeled mainly to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the Sahel. It said the funds were then distributed to other parts of the Al-Qaeda network, including its core leadership and affiliates in the region.
The report said the ransom was large enough to materially support the group’s operations, including battlefield activity, recruitment and the purchase of weapons. It added that the payment had wider implications beyond Mali, helping sustain extremist activity across the Sahel and beyond.
The UN did not identify the hostage or say who made the payment. But the report renewed concerns over the dangers of ransom deals, which international officials have long warned can directly finance armed groups and prolong conflict.
The development comes amid worsening insecurity in Mali and the broader Sahel, where armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State continue to exploit political instability, weak state presence and cross-border smuggling networks.
UN officials have repeatedly called for an end to ransom payments to extremist groups, arguing that such transactions incentivize kidnappings and provide terrorists with a major source of revenue.
