A ransom payment of about $50 million made in late 2025 for the release of a hostage in Mali helped finance Al-Qaeda-linked militants and fuel their expanding offensive across the Sahel, according to a new United Nations report.
The UN report said most of the ransom was redistributed among fighters operating across the Sahel, while part of the money was reportedly transferred to Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula and the group’s central command.
The report did not identify the hostage or disclose who paid the ransom. However, regional sources said the United Arab Emirates paid the money to secure the release of an Emirati citizen and two other foreign hostages.
The UAE has not commented specifically on the reported payment but said it remained committed to combating extremism and terrorism.
According to the UN, ransom payments have become an important source of funding for jihadist groups, enabling them to purchase weapons, strengthen logistics and sustain their operations.
The report estimated that the Mali-based Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked coalition, has between 7,000 and 8,000 fighters across the Sahel, with about half of them operating in Mali.
The UN warned that kidnapping for ransom not only provides militants with financial resources but also undermines public confidence in governments and their ability to protect citizens.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, with violence involving Al-Qaeda- and Islamic State-linked groups, local criminal networks and separatist movements.
The security situation has persisted despite two military coups in 2020 and 2021. The military authorities seized power after promising to restore stability and defeat jihadist groups, but attacks and militant activity have continued to pose a major threat.
The latest UN assessment highlights the growing concern that ransom payments are helping armed groups transform kidnapping operations into a major source of financing for their insurgencies across West Africa.
