Ivory Coast is deploying additional security forces to its northern border following a surge in refugee arrivals linked to escalating attacks by armed groups in neighboring Mali, raising concerns about the southward spread of regional instability.
Ivory Coast experiences increased refugee influx from Mali conflict
People queue with their motorcycles at a gas station amid a fuel shortage in Bamako Mali, Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025.
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The Ivorian National Security Council directed military leadership to reinforce border security during an emergency meeting Thursday.
A government statement attributed the "unusual refugee flows" to "attacks on civilians by Armed Terrorist Groups in several localities in southern Mali."
Authorities are currently registering asylum seekers while implementing enhanced security protocols to monitor the volatile frontier region.
Jihadist expansion drives regional displacement
The refugee crisis stems from renewed aggression by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that recently imposed a devastating fuel blockade in Mali.
The group has been expanding operations westward while advancing toward Ivory Coast's border, though Malian officials dismiss suggestions that jihadists could threaten the capital Bamako in the immediate future.
Coastal countries confront spreading Sahel violence
The security measures represent the latest effort by coastal West African nations to contain the spillover effects of the Sahel's decade-long insurgency.
The conflict has already displaced millions and crippled regional economies, forcing countries like Ivory Coast to invest heavily in border security as militant activity pushes southward, threatening previously stable nations in the region.