How did the jihadist presence in the Sahara, which started out as a support operation for a local Algerian struggle, metamorphose into an insurgency affecting the entire Sahel region? On the basis of primary sources, especially internal documents from jihadist groups, Skretting traces the history of the Sahelian jihadist movement from its beginnings in Algeria in the 1990s. By the early 2010s, the jihadists had conquered a territory the size of France in northern Mali. This Islamic 'emirate' proved short-lived, but provided the jihadist movement with recruits and local connections that would play an important role in their subsequent spread into central Mali from 2015 onward.
Skretting argues that the expansion of jihadism in the Sahel happened in a complex process of trial and error, wherein jihadist commanders sought to further the cause while responding to ever-changing political circumstances, rather than as the unfolding of a grand strategy. Furthermore, the adaptability of jihadism to a variety of political circumstances, as well as the universality of its message, were key factors in its successful expansion in the region. At the same time, jihadist ideology provided an overarching unity of purpose, even as the movement underwent changes in its geographical location, ethnic composition, and short- to mid-term goals.
Trial lecture
Designated topic: "Sahelian Jihadism vs. other Jihadi cases: comparative reflections on ideology and governance"
Vidar Benjamin Skretting successfully defended his dissertation on 10 October 2025.
Evaluation committee
- Associate Professor Stéphane Lacroix, Center for International Studies, Sciences Po (first opponent)
- Senior Researcher Signe Marie Cold-Ravnkilde, Danish Institute for International Studies (second opponent)
- Professor Dag Tuastad, University of Oslo