Over the past two years, numerous photos and videos posted online by militant factions have shown Starlink terminals in active use, raising alarm among regional governments and international partners.
Le Monde reports that in June 2024, a Starlink device recognizable by its white satellite dish mounted on a tripod was seen in a video released by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate.
The footage, filmed during an operation in Mali’s Gao region, showed JNIM forces engaging Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) militants.
Last year, a similar incident was reported in Nigeria, where members of the Boko Haram terrorist group were found using Starlink in the insurgent-controlled Sambisa Forest.
According to counterinsurgency expert and security analyst Zagazola Makama, Nigerian troops under Operation Hadin Kai killed a top Boko Haram commander, Tahir Baga, and recovered items including a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal, mobile phones, and assorted weapons during the operation.
The report, based on intelligence sources, social media monitoring, and field observations, documents how armed groups in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad are increasingly using Starlink kits to enhance their communication capabilities.
Militants gain connectivity amid Starlink’s growth
While this growth is seen as a boost for connectivity and economic development, analysts warn it is also empowering insurgent and terrorist groups.
Armed factions such as JNIM, ISSP, and others are reportedly using the satellite network to livestream propaganda, coordinate attacks in real time, and evade surveillance thereby greatly enhancing their operational capabilities.
Unlike traditional internet infrastructure, which is often disrupted or absent in remote or unstable regions, Starlink offers high-speed, portable, and encrypted internet access with minimal detection.
In a risk analysis bulletin published on May 12 and cited by Le Monde, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), a global network of security experts, confirmed that jihadist groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) are “exploiting the portable, high-speed connectivity [of Starlink] to enhance their operations.”
Nigerien security forces reported the seizure of Starlink terminals during counterterrorism raids in the Tillabéri and Tahoua regions of western Niger.
Starlink’s network functions through a constellation of 8,800 low-orbit satellites—according to a June estimate—allowing it to provide internet even in the most remote regions.
Unlike conventional land-based infrastructure, which reaches just 37% of the continent, Starlink offers near-total internet coverage.
Loopholes Enable Militant Connectivity
The report also points to a regulatory blind spot: many of these terminals are smuggled in or purchased through third-party resellers in neighboring countries with limited controls.
For example, Mali, where JNIM reportedly used Starlink during an operation, is not officially listed among the countries where Starlink is authorized, yet videos confirm its active use there as early as June 2024.
This highlights a broader trend: Starlink is being used in some African countries without formal government approval, particularly in regions like Mali and parts of Niger, where access is often facilitated through smuggling and unregulated cross-border trade.
As Starlink continues to scale up its coverage across the continent, experts are calling for urgent policy interventions to regulate satellite internet access in conflict-prone zones, lest it become a persistent enabler of asymmetric warfare.
