Héni is ACLED’s West Africa Senior Analyst. He leads the conflict data collection and analysis for the Sahel. He is also the director of Menastream, a research and risk consultancy that provides intelligence analysis and tailored services.
His research interests and expertise center around insurgencies and their various dimensions, and non-state actors in Sahelian countries. In addition to his research activities, Héni is regularly consulted by the media, government agencies, and various organizations on security issues in the Sahel and North Africa.
Héni has over 15 years of experience in researching the broader MENA-region. He is the co-author of The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront (Hurst Publishers). His work and commentary have been published in the CTC Sentinel, African Affairs, ISPI, Le Monde, Jeune Afrique, The Guardian, TIME, and Al Jazeera, among others.
Spoken languages: English, French and Swedish Timezone: Central European Time - CET
In January 2025, the M23 and RDF took over Goma city in the DRC, JNIM sustained pressure on urban centers in Burkina Faso and Mali, and remote violence involving IS Somalia Province surged.
In December 2024, Islamist abductions escalated in Cameroon, the Rwandan military re-engaged in violence in the DRC's North Kivu, and regional security challenges are growing after ECOWAS approved the withdrawal of Sahelian states.
The ripple effects of regional instability can be observed in the neighboring states of Benin and Togo, where the advance of JNIM operations presents a deliberate and strategic expansion rather than mere spillover.
Updates on conflicts in Africa, including violence in Lake Chad, DRC, Libya, and Tanzania.
Overview of key trends in conflict and violence across African countries including Central African Republic, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, and Sudan.
Surge in school arsons in Kenya and increased violence in Madagascar and Mali.
The report examines IS Sahel's shift from mass violence toward territorial control and its future trajectory.
Recent violent events involving various armed groups across African countries.
Watch ACLED analysts on Somalia, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, the Great Lakes region, and northern Mozambique, for another in-depth analysis of IS’s pivot to Africa and the evolving nature of African regional security.
The Islamic State is increasingly pivoting its operations toward Africa. Watch the recorded webinar for a deep dive with our experts as they examined IS’s expanding strongholds, providing insights into the actions of the group in five African regions.
Watch the recorded webinar examining the latest data behind the jihadist movements in Benin, Niger, and Nigeria and their impacts on the exposed population.
