A profile of Iyad ag Ghali.
Ghali emerged as the new al-Qaida leader in Mali in March 2017 following his installation as the head of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), a jihadi alliance of four al-Qaida affiliates. The group formally pledged its allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of al-Qaida following the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan. Ghali has transformed from a nationalist leader to the leader of a transnational jihadist group whose attacks in Mali have been spreading.
Ghali will be the greatest obstacle to the peace process in northern Mali.
His effective leadership and military successes in Mali could see him become al-Qaida’s leader and strategist for West Africa.
Ghali's fighters will continue targeting security forces and kidnapping foreign nationals associated with Western entities.
